


Lost Sea

by Susimau



Series: Ateez Subnautica AU [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alien!Mingi, Alien!Yunho, Also Rude Bastard! Joong but he'll come around, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Android!San, Android!Seonghwa, Android!Yeosang, Angst, Blood and Injury, Coworkers (kinda) to Lovers, Human Scientist!Hongjoong, Human Scientist!Jongho, Human Scientist!Wooyoung, Interracial relationships, M/M, Minor Character Death, Subnautica AU, Underwater Fic, You don't need to know Subnautica for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:55:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 60,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: Hongjoong is part of a research team on Aurora, one of the biggest and safest spaceships ever to cross the skies. Or rather Hongjoong WAS part of a research team. Because the Aurora just crashed on Planet 4546B due to hull failure.Hongjoong, of all people, survived and now has to find his way back home from some unknown water planet.And as if all of that wasn't already bad enough, the android assigned to him is not sweet KYS 17 with whom he usually worked. It was PSH 22, notorious for being an annoying tin box.And he didn't even have a stop button.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Ateez Subnautica AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931542
Comments: 659
Kudos: 686





	1. The Aurora Crashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!  
> For this story I want to intoduce you to my editor staylovey ^^ special thanks to her!

“Dear passengers. Just a moment ago we have been grazed by a meteor in diameter of 72 meters. We have suffered minor hull damage and are now beginning the repairing process. We apologize for any discomfort caused by the impact. We ask all passengers to kindly stay calm and not panic. We will keep you updated with any further changes. Thank you.”

Hongjoong hummed, listening to the telltale melody that announced the message from the speakers. When it stopped, he casually reached over to the test tube rack, pulling one of the glass objects out. He lifted it close to his face, shaking it lightly to see the clumps at the bottom dissolve. He turned to add it to the machine reading the stats. With gentle fingers he tipped it over, watching the dark liquid spread beneath the microscope.

“KYS I need you to shake those again. Add some heat so their centrifugal force doesn’t get messed up.” He swiftly nodded toward the rack, not waiting for the android to move. Swiftly he grabbed some tweezers, adding the outmost layer of strange shed skin they had found floating around in the void into the culture dish. He soaked it completely in the black liquid, waiting for the machine to read it and send its findings over to his android.

He sighed when he leaned back, listening to the chatter coming from the other side of the room.

There were three people in the lab right now. Jongho, Lydia and Hongjoong himself. All three of them had their androids close to their sides, quietly working on their respective tests as Jongho and Lydia themselves were distracted, excitedly discussing the recent announcement.

“…have always been so interested in repairing ships and such! Once I finish up here, I’ll swing by there and get my hands dirty! I want to learn!”, Jongho was just happily sharing, making Lydia laugh at his childish fuss.

It made sense. Jongho was pretty young for a researcher.

Hongjoong did not mind or complain about them talking, just lazily leaning back against the counter to listen to their conversation.

Lydia however seemed rather unsettled, her dark hair slipping out of her usually impeccable bun and she didn’t even move to try and fix it. “Are you sure it’s safe though? What if there’s this big gaping hole in the ship that sucks you right out into the cold dark nothingness?” she shuddered and, her eyes widened with horror at the thought. “Ugh, I wouldn’t want to get too close.” She was so occupied with the terrifying imagination that she nearly walked into her android when she turned. The android caught her with an amused grin, putting her back on her feet before passing along.

Jongho laughed, his face scrunching up cutely and his gums on display. It was incredibly soft and Hongjoong felt his heart warm a little. As annoyed as he’d been getting that kid on his team, he certainly made up for it with his adorable self. It gave Hongjoong something to look forward to every day when he came in. Especially on boring days like this.

Their conversation moved on and Hongjoong turned to get the tubes from KYS. He avoided the robot’s uncomfortably blue eyes, silently putting down the tubes on the counter next to himself. Idly, he prepared the other culture dishes too.

“No, no, you’ve seen too many movies. That can’t ever happen! You know that there’s this huge force field around the ship that keeps us from...” Jongho went on and on, gushing about technical details about the ship while Lydia listened with rapt attention, her worry fading the slightest bit.

Hongjoong could only roll his eyes at them. It was literally just minor hull damage. Nothing worth worrying about.

A few minutes later he finished with his work, carefully setting the dishes aside to go wash his hands.

KYS took over then, syncing with the machine to have it keep him updated about its data.

Hongjoong sighed and gave his coworkers a curt nod. “I’ll step out for a moment. Anybody want coffee?”

Both of them turned their Cheshire grins to him and he merely nodded with a faint smile as he snapped his gloves off. Hongjoong was desperate for a coffee break after hours of analyzing the same boring samples. He was just taking his glasses off to put them in the little basket by the door when the sequence of melodies sounded once again.

“Update. Update. The danger caused by the hull damage suffered earlier has risen to level yellow. Please keep your designated androids close and make sure to stay in your work rooms. The repairing process has started. We will keep you updated.”

The computer voice resounding from the speakers shut off again, leaving behind nothing but silence.

Hongjoong gave a huff, stepping out of the room anyway. He was just about to close the door behind him when KYS got in his way, grabbing onto the doorknob. Hongjoong turned impatiently when he was called, looking up at the human-looking face that was only disrupted by those unnaturally blue eyes.

It was still uncanny to Hongjoong, no matter how often he had seen the android around work.

“Stay inside the lab please, sir. The danger level might continue to rise.” His voice was deep and smooth, not letting anything on about his non-humanness.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes and scoffed. “The coffee room is literally no more than three rooms away from here. I’ll be back in a second. You stay and watch the objects of investigation for any changes. If they grow big and start to take shape you need to stop them.” He ignored KYS and stepped out into the corridor. It was the same old story as always and it bored KYS enough to recede.

As if that would ever happen.

Hongjoong continued on his path with a content smile on his lips. He reached the Break Room, nodding at another scientist who had disregarded the rules and was just sneaking back to his lab. Hongjoong held the door for him, sharing a collaborative smile before he stepped in himself.

Bold of them to assume danger level yellow would stop Hongjoong from getting his fix of energy. He was only human. He had been here for too long and had seen too many level yellows to care about another one.

He was just tapping his fingers on the counter, waiting for the water to boil when the annoying melody played again, resounding in his ears uncomfortably.

“Update. Update. The danger caused by the hull damage suffered earlier has risen to level red. I repeat. The danger caused by the hull damage suffered earlier has risen to red. Please keep your androids close at all times. We are now evacuating in order to prevent further safety issues. All scientists are required to move to the life pods first. Make sure to take your designated android with you.”

Evacuation? Hongjoong rolled his eyes. He had only done it once, many years ago when a smaller ship he was working on had suffered some internal damage from machine failure. He and KYS had floated through the void for three days before they had been collected and brought back to their base.

It had not exactly been fun and Hongjoong played with the thought of ignoring those orders again. It was only a precaution after all.

He ended up deciding against that, however. At least he could take his coffee with him.

He stopped the coffee machine after it had finished one out of three tall cups, taking a sip before moving to leave. He sure hoped KYS would not be slowed down by some pseudo-dangerous culture dishes. He chuckled to himself.

Hongjoong had just stepped up to the automatic door - he actually had to open it himself due to the warning signal going on - when suddenly a little tremor went through the whole ship, making his body vibrate with it.

Hongjoong lost his balance and grabbed at the doorframe, observing the floor critically. Had they hit something else?

He felt himself grow concerned. He moved forward a little more carefully as the ground was still shaking beneath his feet. His heartbeat had picked up by now and he stayed close to the walls when he slowly stepped outside, looking around. There was nobody else to be seen out in the hallway. When he took notice of the heavy steel door to his right, he blinked in confusion, unsure where it had suddenly come from.

Realization then slapped him across the face. Of course. To avoid panic they had separated the parts of the ship with these heavy doors. He could still get out fine in his section but there was no going back to KYS now.

Hongjoong ended up regretting that he’d left the safety of his lab for some coffee.

With a mumbled curse on his lips, Hongjoong swerved to the left, his hand touching along the wall beside him as he followed the signs pointing him to the life pods.

Hongjoong was so not prepared to feel another tremor travel through the ship, this one far more powerful than the last one. He nearly dropped his coffee and instinctively leaned against the wall, his only stronghold in the empty hallway.

“Update. Update. The danger caused by the hull damage suffered earlier has risen to purple. I repeat. The danger caused by the hull damage suffered earlier has risen to purple. Please keep your androids close at all times. We are now evacuating the entire ship. I repeat. The entire ship will be evacuated. All remaining scientists are recommended to hurry to get to a life pod immediately. All other passengers are urged to evacuate as well. Make sure to take your designated android with you.”

Purple? Hongjoong had never heard of danger level purple before. Of course, he knew the appropriate procedure, but purple meant actual, life-threatening trouble.

Evacuating in red was more of a precaution. They got the scientists off the ship in order to ensure their survival while they fixed whatever problem.

But evacuating everyone? Ditching the Aurora? This ship was huge, how would ditching it because of minor hull damage make any sense?!

Hongjoong felt the adrenaline in his veins urge him forward, hurrying down the corridor with fast steps. He was only about a hundred meters away from the life pods. He would manage on his own. Any life pod had its own computer built in. He didn’t have to worry about his survival. He just needed to get there.

The next tremor caused him to stumble into another wall. He could barely keep himself on his feet this time and he felt his hands tremble by now, blood rushing in his ears as he gripped his coffee more tightly. It had long lost its purpose as a beverage, rather becoming a lifeline for him to hold onto.

Hongjoong was just moving to push his body off the wall when he heard something creak, lifting his head a little too late.

Next thing he knew was the door of the medical cabinet swing open, letting a big heavy medical kit fall out and hit Hongjoong right in the face. There had been no way to dodge it as gravity – along with fear – kept him pressed against the wall.

It should absolutely not have happened. Everything inside of the ship had to be secured and unmovable especially for such occasions. Someone must have not closed it properly or something.

Hongjoong dropped his coffee to reach up to the stinging pain spreading across his face, feeling the blood starting to drip from his nose. He cursed and stood there for another second, trying to regain his balance as another announcement blared through the speakers. Everything was rumbling and creaking, and the entire ship was shaking and vibrating dangerously. Soon, even the power went out, leaving only the pale blue emergency light for Hongjoong to see where he was going.

He couldn’t even hear the announcement and it didn’t matter, he had to get out, now.

He stumbled forward, forcing his legs to follow his mind’s orders. It was hard to navigate through the dark, and the fact that Hongjoong’s senses were burning with fear and anxiety didn’t help either. The shaking got even worse and Hongjoong felt himself lose his balance and fall.

He tried to get up, tried to move, but he found his legs too weak to listen to him, not budging an inch.

Hongjoong whined helplessly, pressing the white sleeve of his lap coat against his nose while his hands scrambled over the smooth wall for something, anything. There was nothing he could hold on to, nothing to pull himself to his feet with and he felt cold dread creep up his spine.

Of course nobody was here to help. He was in a section with no rooms for work and everybody had been supposed to stay at work after all. They had probably escaped into the life pods by now anyway.

Hongjoong cursed again, more desperately this time, trying to get his trembling legs to move forward somehow, even if he had to drag himself across the floor somehow. It was a lot harder than expected, especially with his nose still bleeding and the fear robbing him of his strength.

The pain in his face mixed with the taste of blood in his mouth was starting to make him nauseous. He was so close, only a few steps away from the life pods and he would be safe, so why, why…

Hongjoong let out a scream when something suddenly touched his arm. He was already expecting another - or the same - medical kit to assault him again.

It wasn’t. It seemed to be a person.

“Please evacuate immediately.” The man said it as if Hongjoong was crawling around on the floor on purpose. He was ready to yell at him in frustration, his panic rising even further when more blood-soaked his once perfectly white sleeve, making this all the more bizarre and horrible than it already was.

When Hongjoong still didn’t move the man took matters in his own hands - quite literally. He roughly grabbed Hongjoong and pulled him along, getting the two of them inside of the pod. Hongjoong was thrown into some corner rather unceremoniously and curled up there, his body shaking with fear and anxiety.

It was dark inside, the power not yet set up, but the man who had thrown him in moved with scary accuracy and calmness. He hit exactly the right buttons in the correct order that had been pounded into their heads during countless practice runs.

Close the door. Turn on the light and gravity. Disconnect from the ship.

Hongjoong yelled when he suddenly felt them falling. Were they not supposed to float? Like little clouds in the void? Why were they falling right now?

The man didn’t react to his screams, and Hongjoong felt shock seize him even more, his body trembling and convulsing uncontrollably. He didn’t calm down until the man came over to kneel beside him, giving him some meds and telling him to close his eyes and breathe deeply and evenly.

Hongjoong followed his instructions, weakly grabbing onto the man’s arms as he gave his best to calm his breathing. It worked and he slowly started to come back to his senses.

Where were they going to land? Falling meant that there was gravity pulling them down. And that meant a planet.

Hongjoong could only hope it was inhabited. Preferably by species that were considerate towards humans.


	2. Lifepod 5

Hongjoong’s nose hurt like hell.

He gave a weak groan, rolling over on the hard surface he was currently lying on. His shoulder was pressed uncomfortably against what he assumed to be a naked floor.

What the heck had happened?

“It is not recommended to move in the state you are currently in. Your full body scan has been completed. Fortunately, there were no signs of encephalon damage, but further caution is advised. I will continue to observe your condition. You have unadvisedly transgressed the rules. You were supposed to stay in your laboratory.”

Hongjoong rolled around - out of spite - and blinked his eyes open to glance up at the person who had spoken. He did not find them at first, distracted by the surroundings greeting his hurting eyes. This was certainly not the lab he was used to.

He was lying in a round room and right next to him there was an ugly yellow stepladder leading up to some kind of hatch. The interior was vaguely familiar to him.

He was lying in a life pod.

Hongjoong blinked repeatedly, finally remembering the crash. He must have passed out when exhaustion had taken over and there he was, lost somewhere with... the delicious smell of grilled meat wafting towards his nose?

He turned his head, pushing his body up on his elbows with a strained huff. There was a man standing in front of the fabricator with a black uniform and a... pink apron with white clouds printed on it?

Hongjoong must have hit his head pretty bad.

Hongjoong did suck in a breath however when the man suddenly turned, and he noticed for the first time that this was no person at all. Icy blue eyes met his and he glared back, feeling a frown take over his features.

“I just told you not to move. Have you additionally suffered an aurally perceiving injury? Or are my communication devices not functioning correctly by any chance?”, he spoke as sophisticated as possible. Everything inside of Hongjoong cringed at the words and he was quick to sit up, shutting the android up with a glare.

“Who are you? Identify yourself.” The order was harsh but Hongjoong bit it out anyway, not caring about the current mood of that android. He had never seen that one before.

“I am PSH 22. Yesterday at 1954, I preserved you from our crashing spacecraft after you were incapable of doing so by yourself. You lost your designated robot, KYS 17, during that time so I will be his replacement until we locate him. Please stay seated to avoid further pain or discomfort.” His voice was deep and smooth, similar to KYS’ but not nearly as calming. He was using too many big words, hiding his bite between the lines.

Hongjoong decided to stay seated, not daring to trust his aching legs to bear his weight. He tried small-talking instead, not looking at the android too closely. He was just another copy of some dark-haired man with icy blue artificial eyes.

“So you are a protection unit? 22 you say... So usually not in usage?”

There was some kind of system for androids, but Hongjoong only ever interacted with the lab assistant androids, simply because it was unavoidable in his work environment. Sure, he sometimes saw other types of androids roam around the ship and it always made sense to keep an eye on them. They were sorted by the color of their uniforms and numbers.

This one here didn’t seem to wear any obvious color, probably because he usually wasn’t out and about. Hongjoong remembered that the numbers 20-29 were only ever activated in the case of an emergency, so it did make sense. However, he couldn’t remember what 22’s special feature was.

“Precisely. I was responsible for the sector you got stuck in and thus I joined you. Certainly, we will attempt to locate KYS 17 regardless. I have already run a scan of our close circumventions and am now accumulating data on where to begin the search.”

This android was far more annoying to Hongjoong than KYS had ever been. While Hongjoong himself understood the usage of androids in science, he could never quite grasp the concept of them having to look like actual humans to do that. It was just weird and unsettling.

KYS had always had a strange aura to him that made it unmistakable who he really was. With his mannerisms and his way of speaking, it had always been so obvious that he was an android that Hongjoong had never even felt the need to question whether he was human or not.

But this PSH guy right here was walking a thin line between an arrogant human and an antique robot. Hongjoong wondered whether his model was not being updated regularly.

“Then, where exactly are we? I take it we landed somewhere after we fell for that long?” Hongjoong took the plate with meat the man handed him, starting to placate his raging stomach with the perfectly cooked meal.

The android took his apron off, letting it disappear somewhere in his body. Whatever he needed a whole apron-compartment for.

“Indeed. We landed on planet 4546B. It is a planet outside of our federal territory and thus not investigated plenarily. There is little data about it. You might notice the swaying of Lifepod 5. This is due to the dihydrogen monoxide that makes up approximately 80% surface of the planet. So far, I have stayed in close vicinity to the area we landed in to not imperil you, but the fish you are currently consuming is a component of this planet’s fauna. After I check your health again you might fancy a look around outside, Medico Kim.”

Hongjoong threw a suspicious glance at the fish, not too fond of the idea of eating things he didn’t know anything about, but thankfully PSH seemed to notice that. He turned around, opening the food storage with provisions. What he pulled out resembled a regular-sized fish but nothing like the ones Hongjoong was used to.

“It’s an eye.” With bits of fish around it.

“The correct term is Peeper. I am able to scan any materials and substances on this planet just like any other android. This one here is plenarily safe to consume. As far as my processors could scan, there are many peregrine species to research. It will be a field trip experience.”

Hongjoong nodded curtly, eating his fish as he indeed concentrated on the sway of little waves beneath their life pod. The abundance of water came with the perfect habitat for many different flora and fauna. From what he knew about the oceans in the Milky Way, there was anything ranging from the smallest of organisms he would not even be able to spot with his bare eye to ancient creatures that liked to live in the cold and dark depths of the ocean.

“Are you able to scan how deep it is? How far do your scanners reach?”

This android was not built for biology - even less for marine biology - but Hongjoong would have to work with it somehow. If KYS was intact somewhere around here, they could meet up soon and he could find a way back.

“Not as far as you would relish them to. I have already dived down to a depth of about 200 meters, but I can merely guess about anything deeper than that.”

Hongjoong sighed. Of course, he had to end up with an android of the useless kind. He should have never gotten that damned coffee.

Stressed, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, putting his plate aside as his stomach started protesting against the sudden onslaught.

“Fine then. I will check a few things first and then we can do some math. You go ahead and run that health check on me now. Have you sent an emergency signal yet?”

“As I have mentioned earlier, we are outside of the federal territory. The life pods will not be able to detect a space station from this far away. However, I already sent a signal to any other functioning life pods and the Aurora itself to gather data about any survivors. I have managed to receive a faint response signal from another life pod, but the connection was far too insufficient to comprehend.”, PSH rambled in his droning voice again and Hongjoong blinked when his brain actually started catching up with what he was saying.

“Wait. So what you are saying is that we can’t get any signal? At all? We are out here in the middle of the ocean on an alien planet and the life pods don’t even work properly? What the hell happened?! Aren’t they built to last through a crash? Also, the Aurora, what happened to-”

“If I may interrupt you there, sir? I have just scanned your statistics and it seems you are fine to move. Please take a look outside and things will speak for themselves.” His voice remained carefully neutral and absolutely void of any emotion, so Hongjoong just stood up with a huff, swaying precariously for a moment.

When he finally managed to grab onto the metal ladder, he quickly scaled it, opening the hatch above.

A blue sky greeted him, seeming far too peaceful for a second before he finally also heard the water.

And there was a lot of it.

The rustle of gentle waves sloshing against the walls of their floating life pod was the only noise to be heard, the few birds circling through the air above them only seeming distant. Hongjoong blinked against a sun that appeared to already have started its descend, looking around then.

And he felt every bit of hope, every bit of curiosity about this planet and its inhabitants diminish.

There was water. Water no matter where he looked. Water and more water, deep and blue, all the way to the horizon with the sun glistening on its surface.

Fucking water everywhere.

Hongjoong turned, shocked and confused, looking in the other direction only to suck in yet another harsh breath at what he saw.

He had found the Aurora. But the Aurora looked much worse than he had expected.

It was partially submerged in water the huge body of water surrounding it, the sinking process slow but that was not the worrying thing. Dark smoke was rising from its sleek body, curling towards the sky and even from the distance, he could see the fires eating away at it. If there were still people alive inside, they were most likely cut off by the danger.

Hongjoong felt his heart contradict in fear, thinking about his team, about their captain and every human on board. Had they all made it? What about the people who might still be in there?!

Hongjoong whipped around maybe a bit too hastily to look down at PSH, losing his balance in the process. With a yelp he held onto the bars of the ladder for dear life, feeling foreign hands come up to support him around his waist. Hongjoong shuddered at the touch, quickly regaining his balance to swat at the android.

“Hands off.”, he growled warningly, making the man retreat immediately with a curious tilt of his head. Hongjoong did not comment on it, looking over to the Aurora again.

“Can you tell how far it is? Can we go there?”

“The ship is precisely 885,71 meters from here. You can swim there in less than an hour. Due to your health however, I would not recommend going that far today. Withal, my build-in messenger has received the following message this morning.” PSH cleared his throat, continuing with a recorded computer voice. “Detecting increased local radiation levels. Trend is consistent with damage to the Aurora’s drive core, sustained during planetfall.”

Hongjoong sighed once more, slowly stepping inside again and pulling the hatch shut above him.

“In that case I also need something to protect me against the radiation... Does this life pod feature anything like that?” His throat hurt, a migraine also adding to it from stress. What if Jongho and his endearing smiles had not made it out? What if he was locked inside of the Aurora, slowly getting killed by radiation?

Hongjoong would hate himself for not going to save him. He had to try at least!

“At this level of radiation, your body should be able to withstand it without any complications. I will inform you when the appropriate suit is needed. For now, I recommend using the diving suit this life pod features. It is the optimal gear for the environment surrounding us. I also recommend adjusting to the dihydrogen monoxide and the planet today, in my presence of course, and we will endeavor to swim out there tomorrow after you have reposed enough. Our close surroundings are mostly safe to explore.”

Hongjoong nodded weakly, deciding that PSH was probably right. He let the android hand him the diving suit before he started putting it on. He grumbled about the tight fit despite feeling relieved to finally get rid of the bloodied coat. He had just finished zipping up when he turned to the android again, scrutinizing his relaxed form critically.

“One more thing, if we have to spend more time together, stop calling it dihydrogen monoxide. I might be a scientist, but water is just fine. Got it?”

“Understood, Medico Kim.”


	3. We Fishy Fishy Like

Hongjoong couldn't complain, per se. The flora and fauna of this planet were beautiful indeed. He had been given an oxygen tank that he had strapped to his back while continuously rejecting PSH's attempts to help him with increasing annoyance. By now they were floating through the water together calmly. 

The scientist had already gone full-on research mode, curiously gliding through corals and tall plants that seemed to reach until the surface. The sunlight was filtering through the water prettily, letting the sand and the reefs shimmer with color and making it look like a beautiful little fairytale world. Hongjoong could barely keep himself from taking samples of everything. He didn't even know what he would do with all those samples, especially without a lab or a helpful android to analyze them with. So for now, Hongjoong settled for looking and touching only, slightly disgruntled.

However, a certain someone ruined the little fun he allowed himself to have far more than the thought of their current situation did. 

“These are Creepvines. This kelp species concentrates in large forests, in shallow, sandy waters. Loose roots anchor the plant to the sea floor, from where it grows steadily toward the surface in pursuit of sunlight. The stem is fibrous and rich in iron, making it both a viable base material for fabrication of textiles, as well as a basic foodstuff.”

It was PSH, floating close to him - but at least not right behind him anymore after Hongjoong told him off - and he was scanning everything like the good little robot he was, providing information.

And really, as fascinating as it was - it was too much.

Hongjoong chose to ignore him for now, just looking around and dodging the fast little fishies that zapped past him from time to time. He hadn't brought a knife and couldn't harvest anything even if he wanted to and he also didn’t need to, at least not for now.

He just wanted to look around. Not search for things, not try to think about what to eat and whatnot. Basically, he was not even going to research these things anytime soon, so a load of information - and especially the way it was conveyed - did a great job at making his eyebrow twitch.

PSH droned on again. "This kelp forest, in particular, is located at medium-shallow depths and is home to mostly passive life forms, with the only exceptions being Stalkers and Drooping Stingers. The seabed is mostly mossy and sandy, with the terrain being comprised of grassy knolls and arches, which sometimes shows entrances to small cavern systems. There are also many canyons to be found in these forests. There is a lot of decorative flora on the sandy, grassy bottom."

Hongjoong sighed, letting his gloved fingers skim through the soft leaves surrounding him. They were of such a vibrant and healthy green that he didn't need to question the importance of this kelp forest to the ecosystem underwater. The area was heavily filled with those vines and larger fish (about nearly thrice as long as Hongjoong himself) circled around the pillar-like plants in lazy arches.

Hongjoong slowly swam closer, mesmerized by their long snout that resembled that of a crocodile and the abundance sharp teeth dangerously gracing the edges of it. Their backs were red and ridged but their bodies were of some grayish color.

He ignored PSH, slowly creeping down lower.

"The Stalker is a streamlined predator encountered in the kelp forests in wait of prey leaving the safety of the shallows to feed. The stalker likely carved out its evolutionary niche at the sweet spot between speed and size millions of years ago and may be one of the oldest species on the planet. They also have quite interesting teeth. The stalker's teeth are unusually hard and fast-growing. Its elongated snout can deliver huge biting pressure to larger attackers, while also being used to reach small herbivores seeking refuge amongst the rocks. Retinal layering on the eyeball also suggests adaptation for night-time hunting and-"

Hongjoong yelped when he was suddenly harshly grabbed by his suit and pulled back, PSH's powerful legs bringing them towards the surface again. He struggled, causing a bunch fish to look at them funny as he was dragged out of the kelp forest.

"'wait for prey leaving the safety of the shallows to feed on.' What is wrong with your ears?!"

Hongjoong kicked at PSH until he was finally let go. He shot a glare at the android. In theory, Hongjoong was able to talk to him underneath his mask, of course he didn’t. That guy was such a boring buzzkill.

It made sense. Protection units had always been like that and Hongjoong wanted his own loyal team back already.

With a roll of his eyes, Hongjoong returned to safer waters, checking out the same colorful fishes he had seen before and that already seemed uninteresting to him compared to the things he had seen glowing deeper down earlier.

"Additionally my sensors have detected a lava geyser a few hundred meters away but I exhort you not to swim too close to it, because in case you forgot, you are human and you might burn up like a rotisserie chicken."

What a smartass. How lucky Hongjoong was to have him.

Hongjoong gestured for PSH to take a look at the entrances of what appeared to be some cave system. It didn't look that deep and actually seemed quite easy to maneuver through but Hongjoong didn't dare approach it for now. He needed to know where the various tunnels led to first, and asking PSH to scan them for him seemed like it would only result in more criticism and safety precautions. So he only took a quick glance at the mosses and little plants circling the entrances that seemed to be all over the sand.

He soon got distracted quickly by some stones right behind the plane they were currently swimming over. The stones themselves seemed to float and they had small pink lumps on them. Intrigued by what he saw, Hongjoong got closer again, just waiting for PSH to rip off his leg in the process of pulling him back.

This time the android stayed quiet though - well, quieter than usual as he only muttered on about how the angle at which the sunlight filtered through the water was ideal for tanning or something - and left Hongjoong to his own exploring.

It was more comfortable like that. The water had a pleasant temperature and surrounded Hongjoong smoothly, relaxing his strained body that was still aching from his night on that floor. Hongjoong enjoyed the way it carried him over to those rocks that were indeed floating above what seemed to be a steep cliff leading to another chasm beneath.

He looked at PSH, prompting him to speak and he did, pushing his hair back in an arrogant manner.

"Most of the Underwater Islands rely completely on the buoyancy provided by Ancient Floaters. There are currently eighteen islands in the area, with the size of the many "islands" varying from minuscule to massive. Two of the largest islands have a great variety of life forms and even possess their own separate cave system. A large ring of broken-off rocks surrounds the largest island.

Hydrothermal vents can be found on the surface of the largest island, while Lava Geysers can be found in huge numbers on the ocean floor directly underneath the islands. Occasionally, large chunks of rock can be seen falling down from the islands and disintegrating. In some places-"

Hongjoong motioned for him to stop his blabbering, which earned him a disapproving glare. He glared back twice as impatiently, swimming closer to the rocks to gently press his hands against them. They were quite light, letting themselves be pushed around easily despite their size.

He pointed to one of the pink lumps close to his face, watching it closely while PSH went at it again.

"A Floater. Two species living in symbiosis, which attach to and attempt to feed on any objects they come into contact with. The pink main body and inner suction jaw is the dominant creature. Once attached to an organism or other stable surface it will attempt to leech nutrients in order to grow. The outer, gel-like substance is a mesh of microorganisms capable of forming a sealed vacuum around the creature's jaws. A thin layer of helium is stored within the outer membrane, providing buoyancy to the floater and anything it is attached to. They are passive and safe to touch." PSH rolled his eyes at him and Hongjoong elegantly kept pretending he did not see that, reaching out to touch the Floater.

It felt funny even through his gloves, the mass sticky and spongy to the touch. He grabbed it carefully, trying not to squish the pink body too hard as he pulled it off the rock. Immediately the large stone tilted in his direction, losing some of its balance. Hongjoong was deeply fascinated, letting his eyes examine its smooth body. It was about as big as a head and he could still hold it comfortably in his hands.

It would be perfect to play dodgeball with actually.

Hongjoong chuckled to himself, reminded of the times when he had played dodgeball in peace with his team on the training grounds of the Aurora. He twisted the creature in his hands, looking at its bottom side.

The sight made him shiver, amazement seeping into disgust.

It had a mouth. A red, round opening that disappeared inside. There were multiple tentacle-like arms attached to it, reaching around for something to hold onto and Hongjoong also spotted a sharp row of teeth.

"... and erosion patterns on the landmasses suspended here suggest they once floated on the surface." PSH ended whatever speech he had been giving behind Hongjoong until now and swam over to some other fish he wanted to scan. Obviously Hongjoong was safe right now.

With a quick look around him, Hongjoong slowly moved closer, stretching his hands out to PSH. With absolutely no pressure he lifted the Floater close to the android’s busy back, watching it find its destination all by itself and immediately latching on to his shoulder. It simply stayed there, not really hindering him in any movement.

Hongjoong giggled to himself and turned to get another, sticking it to PSH's lower back. He did seem to grow a bit confused now, slowly kicking his legs to stay at the spot he was currently at. Hongjoong left it at that, waiting for him to notice as he went to explore more.

He felt better now. Pranking that insufferable android certainly brightened his day a bit. On his way past the stones, he took another Floater, holding it in his hands as he was swimming. He wanted to stick it to their life pod later, making sure to keep it afloat. There were no nutrients for it to leech from after all

That’s when PSH called out to him.

"Medico Kim, the nighttime is approaching. We should return to the safety of our pod. You require rest and nutrients for tomorrow and I shall check for any messages that that pod might have received in our absence."

Buzzkill.

Hongjoong turned with a sigh, trusting PSH's GPS System to lead them back to their pod, even if he could see it still from here. The android did have a point. The sun had indeed moved past the horizon, the waters were bathed in a gray twilight and it was getting harder to see. Even the kelp forest on the other side of the plateau seemed to have disappeared in the gloomy distance.

In exchange for the darkness, however, some of the organisms down here started glowing in different colors. There were some fish with a soft blue hue to them, some plants on the ground that were dotted with white. Even at night, there were enough florescent light sources to make out some shapes. Hongjoong could barely wait to get a flashlight and explore more.

But that had to wait. First, they needed to check for survivors on the Aurora, then they had to get through to their space station, and only after that, he would allow himself to have fun here while he waited.

Or well, as much fun as one could have with a PSH floating around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way the whole data that Hwa is talking about is from the Subnautuca Fandom Wiki, I do not make this up myself! Feel free to look anything up there if you ever wonder about something ^^


	4. Roar in the Distance

"Caution. Continued degradation of the Aurora's drive core may result in a quantum detonation. Continuing to monitor."

Hongjoong curiously turned his head. He’d just been in the process of slipping into his diving suit again when PSH had spoken up. 

PSH quickly closed his mouth, looking just as surprised by the sudden message as Hongjoong was. They wordlessly stared at each other for another second before Hongjoong went back to swiftly zipping his suit up. His hands were moving faster now, more determined.

"We have to get as many of them out of there as we possibly can. Also, keep your eyes open for any substances and objects that might help us accommodate them. I fear some of them might have gotten hurt in the process of falling from the sky.", Hongjoong ordered, staying as composed as possible. He tried to keep his voice from trembling, snapping his gloves over his fingers quickly. He also packed the knife he had found in another compartment inside of the life pod to summon up some kind of courage. The feeling of its weight strapped to his leg gave him at least some sense of security.

At least he knew where to stab for it to hurt.

"Understood. Your current statistics are level. If your status changes I will make sure to provide you with any aid needed." 

Just what Hongjoong needed, an android with an overbearing function to help. However, 

He sighed and pushed that thought aside for now. He needed to keep a cool head.

He took a couple of deep breaths, loosening up his fingers so they would not cramp over the next few hours they would spend swimming. 

PSH patiently waited for him to go first, the second hatch beneath them that led down right into the water looking less than inviting.

Hongjoong didn’t waste another second overthinking.

With another deep breath, he jumped in, feeling the water press up against the fins he had put on. He adjusted to the water more easily than yesterday, looking around between the pink and blue fish that lived their usual lives idly gliding through the water. They moved as soon as PSH had finished closing the hatch above them. 

They were swimming east, toward the Aurora’s had crash site.

PSH wanted them to stay close to the surface. He didn’t deem going deeper safe enough after finding those Stalkers last time. Hongjoong thought he was overreacting. They should use this opportunity to get a better look around at what different kinds of biomes the planet had to offer.

Hongjoong did negotiate to at least be allowed to look down into the water and not at the horizon only. Not seeing what was beneath him not only made him slightly skittish, but it was also incredibly boring to stare at the Aurora slowly getting bigger.

PSH was mostly quiet today, not close enough to anything to scan. He did look around constantly, staying close to Hongjoong even if his physique would have allowed him to go much faster.

And indeed, Hongjoong had been right. As they brought more and more distance between themselves and their life pod, the shallow waters they had explored yesterday soon changed into a biome Hongjoong hadn’t seen before. 

The kelp forest had had more light sources and steep cliffs than this new area. Arched rock formations took over the underwater world beneath them instead. 

Sadly, there were no Floaters around that Hongjoong could put on PSH. The android had eventually noticed the ones the day before when they had returned to their life pod and released them into the ocean again. Hongjoong had accepted it with a disappointed sigh.

However, instead of Floaters, there were plenty of other things to see. This part of the sandy seafloor was well vegetated with long red grasses that swayed gently with every shift of the water. It looked very soft and had multiple shoals of fish crossing it peacefully.

Hongjoong turned his head to PSH, gently giving him a nudge. PSH looked at him, no further equipment weighing his body down and even in the water his eye color was making Hongjoong uncomfortable.

Humans had dark hair and dark eyes. This was unnatural.

But he was an android after all.

Hongjoong shook those thoughts out of his mind, giving the other man his best puppy eyes while gesturing down at the grass. He really wanted to take a closer look.

PSH hesitated for only a second, his eyes flickering between Hongjoong's and then he nodded, offering his hand to pull him deeper more easily.

Hongjoong ignored his hand, his face shutting off again as he dipped down lower, his fins greatly aiding him in his descend. PSH followed him and after starting to ramble again.

"Short-range scans suggest this biome supports extensive biodiversity both above and below the surface."

Yes, Hongjoong could see that. In this biome, there seemed to be even more different species swimming around and some of them looked completely different from what he had seen in the Shallows. When he reached the plateau, he amazedly let his hands skim through the grass, appreciating its vibrant color. His fingers brushed over something hard too, jostling it and he carefully grabbed the thing, lifting it out of the high grasses.

It was an old piece of metal, the edges most likely frayed by time and erosion. It had probably belonged to some kind of ship once but that was not the strange thing about it.

Was there supposed to be metal laying around that was obviously not from the Aurora?

Confused, he turned to PSH, catching him staring at something in the distance. However, when Hongjoong turned to look at it he only saw a very big shadow disappearing in the hazy water. He shivered, giving a bewildered smile when he shifted to meet PSH's eyes. He would just pretend he did not see that.

"It's not dangerous.", PSH, however, said in an oddly soft tone before Hongjoong got to ask him about the metal, making the other blink in confusion. When he merely cocked his head PSH pointed back to the shadow, shooing away some boomerang-formed fish that had gotten quite close to him in the process.

"That. It was not built like a predator."

Hongjoong did not know what to do with this sudden simple piece of information but he accepted it anyway, enjoying how it eased the knot in his stomach. He gave a grateful nod that made the android smile fleetingly.

When Hongjoong remembered the scrap of metal again he lifted it for the android to observe, showing off its current condition.

"It appears to be from the Aurora. We are nearing the wreck." He nodded it off easily, his eyes expectant when Hongjoong didn’t move back.

"But it looks... old. Are you sure? I'm positive that such scraps were not on the ship.", Hongjoong retorted, muffled by his oxygen mask. PSH nodded again, more patiently this time.

"Those are teeth marks. Something has already started playing with this before we got here. There might be some creatures here that eat metal." He took the piece of metal from Hongjoong's hand, letting his fingers run over the teeth marks.

"Such bites are made by no particularly ample fish though. It might have been one of these shoals. As long as we do not encounter any predators bigger than those Stalkers there is no need to worry." With another smile and a flick of his wrist, he threw the metal away, motioning for them to move on.

Hongjoong got to stay near the rock formations and grasses this time around. He was content with diving through arches and counting the similar fish. PSH was busy keeping them away from any apparent danger (that Hongjoong never actually saw) and sometimes he synched his database anew, mumbling information under his breath.

At least he learned very quickly. He had given up trying to force Hongjoong to listen to him.

Soon the biome changed again. Hongjoong had no idea how long they had been swimming for but not only the fish but also the plants here got increasingly more sparse. Rocks were substituted with more sand and soon there was only a multitude of metal pieces laying around. It became increasingly hard to see too, the water too dusty to allow them to see further than a few feet.

"Lifeform readings in this region are sparse. The Aurora's radioactive fallout will have devastating effects on the alien ecosystem if not contained within the next 24 hours," was all PSH had to say about the matter. The Aurora certainly had disrupted the whole surroundings and the unnatural sand dunes everywhere were evident to that.

Swimming through these waters was highly disturbing, especially with the way random deep canyons sometimes disappeared right beneath their feet. Hongjoong did not complain when PSH asked him to swim closer to the surface again, afraid to lose his orientation if not for their sight.

They were about halfway up when PSH introduced another piece of information.

"Detecting multiple leviathan class lifeforms in the region. Are you certain whatever you're doing is worth it?"

Hongjoong froze in the middle of his ascend towards the light of the sun faintly falling down on them. Mightily disturbed he turned his head towards PSH, scrutinizing the man with wavering eyes.

The android looked close to regretful.

"Say what?"

"Detecting multiple leviathan class lifeforms in the region... I did not mean to ask that question out loud, that was the warning my PDA received.", he mumbled, coming to a halt next to Hongjoong. He looked around in the sandy water cautiously, obviously not finding much either and then focused on Hongjoong again.

"That might just be what I saw earlier. You know what a leviathan is, right? The definitions are broad."

"I fucking know what a leviathan is. I'm a biologist! I just don't know what this planets' definition of a leviathan is and most of the leviathans I know I would not like to meet in the middle of some soupy ocean!"

He had just ended when - as if underlining his words - in the distance a resounding roar echoed. Immediately every muscle inside of Hongjoong tensed up, making him freeze. Without wanting to, he sunk a few meters like some kind of stone, PSH having to grab onto his arm to keep him up.

Hongjoong's heart was racing loudly, his eyes darting left and right in a desperate attempt to spot whatever had just made that blood-curling noise. Whatever it was, if it was that loud it had to be huge.

"What the hell was-"

PSH interrupted him carelessly, a bold thing to do for an assistant android.

"The deep roar emitted by the leviathan at regular intervals is effectively sonar - if you can hear it, it can see you.", he explained quickly, looking around just as distraught when the resonant cry sounded again.

And that did not sound friendly at all.

Hongjoong felt every single hair on his body rise, his instincts screaming at him to flee already but there was nothing to see but dirty water and weird canyons around them. From which direction had that even come from and which one would be safe to flee to?

Panic arose in his veins quickly, fogging up his brain and he felt himself hold onto PSH's arm for dear life, keeping him close. If they were to be attacked, he would have to count on his android to pull him along.

Suddenly Hongjoong regretted being such a douche to the other man earlier.

"What do we do?" His voice was no more than a scared squeak, not daring to speak louder in order to maybe preserve their lives for a bit longer. PSH picked up on his stress immediately, rubbing his back in a comforting gesture. As much as Hongjoong hated that, he would not throw a fit if that would alarm something called a leviathan to their presence.

Another roar, elongated and terrifying. It made the bones in Hongjoong's body tremble, everything inside of him curling in defense.

PSH quietly spoke up, pointing up to the water surface.

"We will continue on. There will be a safe spot for us to figure out how to avoid this creature on the Aurora. Hold onto me tightly."

He didn’t even wait for Hongjoong to agree. He merely grabbed both of his arms to put them around his own neck. After PSH had pulled him close to his chest he started swimming, kicking his legs much more powerfully than Hongjoong ever could.

Hongjoong held onto his neck for dear life, wanting to bury his head in the other man's chest and keep his eyes at their surroundings all the same. They moved quickly, no monster attacking from the depths but Hongjoong did not dare breathe until they finally breached the water surface again.

PSH didn't let go of him, keeping his wet form pressed to his own solid body securely while he swam over to the wreck.

"It appears it lost us. Endeavor to breathe deeply, your heart rate is rising rapidly right now."

Hongjoong snorted, too occupied with the task to miss how they had entered the open hull of the Aurora. Its skeleton laid stripped bare around them and fires were raging everywhere, heating up the air that smelled of the thick smoke.

He did however notice the two men sitting on the ramp - once a corridor - that led down to the water though. And he knew that pale human that clutched his blood-stained legs.

Physicist Jung Wooyoung.


	5. Reaper Leviathan

Wooyoung had had an awful fucking weekend, and as it looked, it wasn't going to get better anytime soon. Ever since that stupid hull failure had been announced, it was gradually getting worse.

Wooyoung was a simple man of simple pleasures. All he'd ever wanted was to get his coffee, get back into his lab and have a dull but peaceful day. However, mere minutes later, San had dragged him out of there. His fresh coffee was forgotten on the table when San pushed the scientist down into a life pod.

And ever since that thing had launched from the Aurora, their lives had become a living hell.

Wooyoung awoke - awoke - to a tremor shaking their life pod. He groggily sat up, unaware of his bearings at first, and simply rubbed his eyes as he looked around for San. The android had curled up next to him, his cheek mushed against his hands, and Wooyoung had to suppress a coo when he reached out to gently touch the other man's hair. San blinked his gorgeous blue eyes open then, watching Wooyoung like a curious cat that was asking to play.

It came again, that tremor, but this time it was accompanied by a horrible roar, making both of them grow rigid. The two men waited, holding their breaths and listening to it sounding closer and closer by the second.

San was up on his feet in seconds, hurrying over to the little window in their life pod to worriedly take a look outside. Wooyoung uneasily followed him and clasped hands together in an attempt to keep his nervousness at bay. His knees felt like jelly, making him even more aware of his fear.

"What is it?"

"Water. We're underwater, surrounded by radiation and unfamiliar life forms. I have no clue what happened."

"Underwater? Shouldn't this thing be floating or something?" Wooyoung knew very well that it was supposed to float. He had regularly taken part in perfecting the structure of the Aurora's life pods regarding any kind of protection against extreme conditions and physics forced upon it. This thing should never be underwater.

"Yeah, but... I can't see much, wait, let me scan. Get the diving suit ready, hm? Since we're underwater, we should be prepared in case of an emergency." San pushed his hair back, his eyes zoning out as he scanned the things around him. He wasn't aware of the next echoing cry that sounded outside, their life pod swaying slightly as if hit by a shift of pressure in the water.

Wooyoung did not hesitate to run over to the compartments and hastily pull his suit on. He also equipped the oxygen tank, not yet taking the mask up to his face.

"Are we safe inside of here? We must be, right? There's no way being outside in the water without any protection is better.", he mumbled more to himself than San, suspiciously eyeing the corners of the life pod. He imagined the walls bursting and water seeping in imagined the hatches blocked, imagined them suffering a lonely death inside of this thing in the deep dark ocean. He quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind, anxiously fiddling with his fins.

When San returned his focus, his face looked troubled, his eyes darting around with palpable tension etched into them.

"I... How much do you want to hear?"

As much as Wooyoung adored his soft voice, his care to watch out for Wooyoung and his state of mind, this was not the right time. He needed answers right now. He impatiently gestured for San to speak, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

San sighed, then giving a quick rundown of the planet they had crashed on and how it was made up by water mainly, so even if they did go outside, finding safe land might become a hard task to accomplish. It was necessary information but nothing that Wooyoung needed at that moment. He needed to know just why the pressure of the water was jostling them at irregular intervals. He needed to know that whatever whale that was close to them did not plan to suck them into its stomach.

"I just got this: 'Caution: scans indicate the digestive tracts of nearby lifeforms contain human tissues.' And also something about a leviathan class species. I don't think it's a just passive whale."

Leviathan. Wooyoung was by far no expert in marine biology, but the creatures that the humans usually titled leviathans were less than friendly. He shivered, giving San an uneasy look again.

"So... They eat humans?"

San was quick to be at his side, slinging a protective arm around Wooyoung's middle. He hugged the smaller human close, giving a placating hum. Wooyoung shivered all over, cuddling his body close to his friend. But even San's warm embrace could not take the suffocating anxiety from Wooyoung.

"Don't worry, I got you. You know I wouldn't let anything hurt you, right? I can kick any leviathan's ass for you." His voice was soft and firm at the same time, making Wooyoung chuckle at his confidence.

"Yeah, right, thank you. I'm feeling a little bit bett-" Wooyoung's sentence ended in a scream when the whole pod suddenly tipped, making both of them crash against the wall hard. San's noise of protest got lost in another roar that sounded like it came from right above them, muffled only by the walls of the pod.

The whole construct had rolled over, and they were laying on its ceiling. The metal surrounding them was creaking dangerously, making Wooyoung put their security into question again.

"It won't break, right? Right, Sannie? We are safe inside?"

San didn't answer. He merely reached over with one hand and brusquely pressed Wooyoung's breathing mask down onto his face.

And he was no second too late.

The whole upper half of the pod was violently being ripped off, causing water to forcefully stream inside through the opening. They were submerged within a second, Wooyoung's terrified yell getting lost in the water masses seizing them and throwing them around like they were weightless.

Wooyoung was so overwhelmed by the masses of sandy water that he completely forgot they were not alone anymore for a moment.

There was still a certain something that had just ripped their whole fucking life pod apart.

And that something was still close enough for Wooyoung to see its shadow creeping through the water.

It was unfathomably huge. A giant snake-looking creature was circling around them with predatory speed. It was swimming around the two parts of the life pod that were slowly sinking deeper which seemed to be distracting the creature.

Wooyoung gaped at the creature, at the sheer length of it. He assumed it to be at least 50 meters of long, sleek body, and something with that size crossing the waters that quickly was not a good sign at all.

San came up to his side, his bright eyes wide as he stared at the four fins that made up the tail swishing past them. It was tinted gray, but the fins got darker towards the tips, ending in a dark maroon. Just one fin was already twice as big as Wooyoung's entire body, and his motivation to meet that thing eye to eye diminished very quickly.

"We have to get the hell out of here. I'm not that fond of my food trying to eat me back.", he whispered to San, hooking their arms together so San could pull him up to the surface more easily. San immediately started to powerfully kick his legs to move them away from the imminent danger.

Wooyoung supported his friend as best as he could, moving his arm and legs too, so they hopefully rose up at a faster speed.

However, when that roar came again, sounding terrifyingly disappointed, San threw a panicked glance downwards. Wooyoung didn't want to see. He forced himself to stare ahead and observed what could only be the Aurora - a giant spaceship laying on a sandy dune - growing closer to them.

"San! There's a ramp! Let's climb on it!"

"Wooyoung, the fish, it-"

Wooyoung yelped, nearly dropping from San's grip when he felt something scrape by his leg, causing a searing to pain erupt in them. San gave a warning noise himself, grabbing onto Wooyoung tighter while still pulling them upwards with desperate kicks.

And Wooyoung made the mistake of looking down.

He had wanted to check up on his legs, see what had happened, what had just hurt him like that, but what he found instead was the face of the leviathan, mere meters away from their feet.

The image had already ingrained itself in Wooyoung's head without any opportunity to ever let go of it again. The leviathan had a face that could make any person faint, and there were two mandibles on each side of its face that it extended to them. It was roaring with a force that made the water in its body push at them and every single bone in Wooyoung's frame rattle. Wooyoung was too stunned to move, to stunned to do anything as he stared down at this creature and uselessly clung on to San for dear life.

It was absolutely terrifying to look at, and Wooyoung felt his heart stop beating altogether as He found himself scream at San in panic, telling him to hurry up.

San did as Wooyoung continued to stare as if entranced by the horrible mocking grin directed at them.

It was playing with its prey.

Wooyoung caught the exact moment in which that mood changed, the leviathan charging at them for real. It tried to suck them in by reaching for them with its mandibles.

Luckily, San was faster. With a leap, he scaled the safe ramp, dragging Wooyoung behind him. Wooyoung couldn't do much to help him as his legs failed on him. Once San had managed to pull the two of them onto the ramp, Wooyoung turned around and watched as the monster crashed against the Aurora, flapping uselessly for a second before falling back into the water. They were left behind, still shaking with terror as the leviathan's muscular grey body slid back into the water to go back to hunt other unsuspecting souls.

Wooyoung stared after it, lying in San's arms as if he were boneless and unable to form words.

He would jump into any fire readily right now. At least he'd know what would expect him there.

It was like the images of that leviathan were flashing in front of his eyes. Its head had featured a red horn, tall and probably made of bone. Its face was grey and had two pairs of eyes that had a deep blackness to them that left no room for mercy or sympathy. There was a big mouth that seemed as if twisted in a cruel smirk, many sharp little teeth on display. And to top the horror off, there had been those two maroon mandibles on each side of its face, which slowly got darker and ended in black claws.

"Wooyoung, hey, can you hear me? Here, focus on my chest. I need to check your wounds, you don't need to move, alright?" San pulled Wooyoung's body up further between his legs, mimicking a regular breathing pattern for Wooyoung to copy. He did as he was told, feeling the man's sculpted chest against his back, which helped him immensely. San helped his Wooyoung's lungs find a rhythm first, gently pulling his breathing mask off then.

Wooyoung saw that at his cue to find his words again.

"Thank you for saving me. Oh God, did... did you see that thing? That was something out of nightmares.", he rambled with a hoarse voice, his eyes still fixed on the spot it had disappeared in.

The water was in too much movement to see anything past the surface, giving no clues about what hid underneath.

"I did. My scans picked up on its name. It's called a Reaper Leviathan. And it's no defensive creature. It attacked us because it wanted to." San spoke more quietly than before, carefully pulling the torn fabric of Wooyoung's swimsuit aside to take a look at the injuries Wooyoung had completely forgotten about.

Wooyoung averted his eyes. He didn't need to see the injury that now hit him with full force, making him feel as if hot lava had spilled over his thighs. He snuggled against San instead, trusting his gentle hands to take care of everything.

"It looks like it got you with those mandibles. You won't be able to walk or swim for a while. We need a medical station to patch you up with."

They had just lost that along with their life pod.

Wooyoung sighed, closing his eyes for a long, tired moment. He was glad to be out of the water and about as safe as they could get right now, just breathing calmly until whatever problem would arise next had a chance to do so. That's why he didn't even answer, just lying in San's arms contently.

"Aren't you worried? What if those get infected? It might get worse."

"Not right now. Right now, I just wanna breathe with you. We only just arrived, let me have my moment."

San accepted that readily, letting the human leaning against him rest in silence as he ran a calming hand through his wet hair.

For now, they had no choice but to wait for a miracle anyway.


	6. Quantum Physics

Wooyoung hadn't expected for the leader of the biologist team to show up just like that while he and San were still basking in the aftermath of the attack. By now, San had explored the large surface they were resting on, finding no way inside the Aurora with its doors barricaded. Everything that hadn't gotten stuck anywhere during the crash was burning, leaving them with nowhere to go but the ramp.

At least it was large enough that no fish would suddenly jump out at them, especially no leviathan.

When Team Leader Kim did show up however, the sigh of relief that escaped Wooyoung's lips made San chuckle as they were still leaning against each other.

Team Leader Kim seemed to share the sentiment, urging his companion to swim faster so they could climb up the ramp as well. Wooyoung would have run to greet them but well... the legs.

As the two wet men came closer, Wooyoung noticed another peculiar thing.

The android that accompanied biologist Kim was not his designated one. He was not even a research unit. Instead, his black uniform with the fancy silvery lines on the seams seemed to belong to an entirely different sector. He might have been some kind of fighting unit, and Wooyoung was curious to hear what had happened to them.

When Team Leader Kim finally reached them in his wet and shivering glory, Wooyoung gave him the brightest of his smiles, trying to pretend he hadn’t nearly get murdered by a damn fish just a moment ago.

"Gods, I'm glad to see you alive! Was it you who send us the signal?"

Wooyoung quickly shook his head, exchanging a questioning look with San. He then shook his head more firmly when the android merely shrugged.

"Then there's even more people around! I'm so glad. PSH come here, I need to introduce you."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing so myself, Medico Kim. While I appreciate your efforts, you can rest assured that I will manage.", the android replied. It didn’t exactly sound frosty, but it Wooyoung wouldn’t have called it warm either. Wooyoung wondered if Kim had done something to anger the man.

Kim just rolled his eyes and moved closer to examine Wooyoung's legs carefully. PSH joined them with quick steps, neatly kneeling down next to them. He looked oddly put together, considering the circumstances.

PSH spoke first, albeit slowly, as if he tried to rile up an impatient Kim further. Wooyoung's lips twitched when the man chose his words carefully again, laying them out as if he was doing laundry.

"I'm PSH 22, protection unit of sector S7 on the Aurora. I am the android who aided Medico Kim during the accident. I am delighted to meet you, Medico Jung, CS 19."

Wooyoung smiled his friendliest grin, nodding at him as if his legs did not hurt like hell. It was all about the first impression anyway.

"Call me Wooyoung; I'm not into this whole title thing. And also, feel free to talk comfortably with each other. I'm not bothered by it."

Kim, who seemed to be vibrating on his spot with excitement, started swaying left and right impatiently, making Wooyoung focus on him again. PSH settled down and pulled a first aid kit out of his leg compartment, starting to delicately treat Wooyoung's wounds. San reached out to help him, carefully pulling bits of fabric away to expose the wound that still burned from the saltwater.

"Ask away." Wooyoung chuckled, and it was all the invitation Kim needed, immediately starting to ramble on.

"What happened?! On the Aurora, here, to you? Did you find any other survivors or signs of life? When we came here, we heard about the ship exploding, and there was also something huge roaring at us in the water and- boy, am I glad to finally have somebody to talk things over with!"

He was fast, firing questions at a rapid speed that Wooyoung struggled to keep up. So he started at the end.

"Well, you did have somebody to talk to. You didn’t need to wait for me." He laughed, throwing PSH a thankful glance when he professionally sprayed his injury with tissue-creating medicine.

Maybe he was a medical unit? Wooyoung would have to ask later. For now, he focused on Kim, who looked mightily confused, his head tilted puzzled.

"But I didn’t. Oh, you mean PSH? Yeah, no, I was talking about a human. He is good to share information with, but I needed someone I could talk to. And here you are. Tell me what happened."

Wooyoung frowned at the strange way Kim reacted to PSH, the android still merely smiling indulgently as he worked. He didn’t seem like a troublemaker to Wooyoung.

"Well, then, here I go. We separated from the Aurora around two days ago, according to San, but I have no idea how long we were awake actually. I awoke in the morning today to some bastard monster fish attacking us and pulling us underwater. Pretty sure it wanted to eat us. Anyway, we fled, and I got hurt, but San managed to drag us up here. We were just hanging out until you guys appeared." It was a quick and simple story, told with as much spite towards that Reaper Leviathan as possible. He never wanted to meet that fucker again.

Kim nodded quickly, leaning a bit closer.

"Just to clarify, by San, you mean..." He trailed off, unsurely exchanging glances between Wooyoung and San's shoes. Wooyoung wanted to know what he was so confused about.

"Yeah, San, of course. They have names, you know?" He said it gently and with his chiding hidden in between the lines. Had Kim never wondered about this? He didn’t know his co-workers well enough to know about their opinions on the androids, only ever seeing him in the Break Room to get some coffee. He did not peg Kim the type to despise them.

"They do?"

"We don't call each other by our birth numbers either now, do we?"

Kim looked over to PSH at that, disapprovingly lifting one brow. Then he shook his head, however, returning his eyes to Wooyoung.

"It doesn’t matter to me. We build them, and we give them numbers to sort them by. I think that's enough already. Why pretend they’re human? At least we don't give them some generic slang names like some kids do." He appeared to be uncomfortable, shifting on his knees until he suddenly got up.

Wooyoung lifted his head to watch him as he glanced around searchingly, then nodding towards the doors leading further in.

"Did you check those? Can we get in somehow?"

"San tried, but feel free to search again." He made sure to stress the android's name, narrowing his eyes at Kim as the man stomped off.

He did deal with actual living organisms; mostly; it made sense for him to not be fond of AI. But Wooyoung thought he was too judicial. These androids were no threat to humanity.

With a sigh, Wooyoung cuddled up against San further, catching PSH at throwing them a fond glance. When Wooyoung merely grinned at him, the man focused back on his injury. He topped the bandage off with a sweet little bow.

"What's your name?"

It was Wooyoung asking, still captivated by this android's undeniable beauty. He had never seen a PSH before; he was quite sure those were some older models. However, they were gorgeous; indeed, the man's black hair, golden skin, and slender body crafted with the perfection of one who just started to live his dream.

"Seonghwa. I call myself Seonghwa." He said it softly, his voice like dark blue velvet. Wooyoung gave him a cheerful smile.

"Nice to meet you again then, Seonghwa! Are you comfortable with me calling you by your name?"

The man hesitated, averting his eyes, and with the way he pursed his lips, and his long lashes fluttered bashfully, Wooyoung was sure he would have blushed if he could. What a catch.

"I... I would love you to. During my time in the emergency lockers of S7, I had nobody to call me that.", he mumbled shyly, making San break out in a huge dimpled grin too. Wooyoung's heart swooped, but he stopped his fingers from reaching out to poke those deep dimples. Seonghwa was the most important topic right now.

"May I ask you a question too?"

Wooyoung nodded, gesturing for him to go on. He wanted to know so much about this android and how his personality was developed. How even could Kim ignore him like that?

"Are you two in an intimate relationship with each other?" He curiously glanced back and forth between San and Wooyoung.

Wooyoung smirked as San buried his head in Wooyoung's shoulder bashfully.

"No. I do get a feeling somebody really wants us to be, though." He gently nudged San, giggling when the man grumbled in betrayal. "We will talk it out later when we are in less danger. I guess staying here isn't an option from everything I’ve learned about atoms."

He sighed. Life would have been so much easier.

"We can bring you back to our life pod. It might be a tight fit, but we are safe there. We landed in shallow waters with no imminent form of danger close to it. It will be far enough to survive the explosion without further consequences."

Wooyoung nodded at him, carefully shifting his legs to tuck them under his body as painlessly as possible.

"What's our plan for surviving? Have you had time to think about it?" Wooyoung and San certainly didn’t.

"We did. Medico Kim wishes to secure any survivors first and amass data on how to flee. We endeavored to send emergency signals out to the bases, but we are too far out to reach them easily. We might need another ship to cross by and check on us as soon as they detect the Aurora vanished. We still aren’t sure how to get off of here, but we might accumulate more information about this planet on the way and find something. It has already been denominated after all, and my scans wouldn’t work without people having been here before. Even if it was only for a moment, only to study remotely before they returned, it could betoken that we can find a way out."

It sounded reasonable. And it also explained why Medico Kim, who was just coming back to their little group, had thought of coming to save them. What a good team leader.

Kim dropped down on the floor next to Wooyoung with a grunt, shaking his head darkly.

"No way in. We might need to wait for the explosion to tip a few walls apart, but I'm afraid that more people will die that are still alive in there right now. We don't have any laser cutters or something to get in?"

Everybody shook their heads gloomily.

"We would need to build one with our fabricator. I’ve visually perceived some materials submerged that will make an optimal refractory. However, that too will take some time. We additionally need to transform Wooyoung back somehow. He is in no condition to swim even if I have closed the wounds for now."

Kim glanced back at the Aurora wistfully, clearly wishing he had more of an option. But in the end, he complied with a heavy nod, moving to get up on his feet and stretch his arms.

"Let's move. And after this exploded, we will come back immediately and save everybody."

He did not mention where he wanted to put those people. How he wanted to take care of them. Or how he was going to protect them from the dangers lurking in the water.

It was evident in his desperate eyes that he just wanted to help anybody he could.

Wooyoung heard San hum appreciatively and gave a gentle pat on the android's thigh.

"I was honestly looking forward to starving here and never setting foot in that water again, but I guess you leave me no choice. I sure hope it's worth it. If I see that leviathan again, I will yell at it."

"About that. Was it the same creature we heard along the way?" Seonghwa quipped up, curiously looking from Wooyoung to San and back. Wooyoung let Kim pull him to his feet, gently nudging San on his way up.

"What, why haven’t you synced with him yet? That's important information I nearly gave my legs for."

San frowned, carefully moving close to Seonghwa to read the numbers ingrained in his eyes. Too hard to see for a human, but not for a San.

"Ah, he doesn't have the same syncing function. He needs that upgrade first."

"Then we gotta retell every detail?"

San quickly shook his head. "No, I can just..." He leaned forward with that, gently pressing his lips to Seonghwa's. Wooyoung saw both of their eyes zone out, shifting through their databases and nodded in understanding. That was another method apparently.

Kim winced next to him, pointedly averting his eyes to look at the ocean. Wooyoung hit him with his elbow none too softly.

"Stop fetishizing them. We exchange feelings by kissing what is wrong with them sharing information like that?"

"It's too human! They keep pretending they are human! Everything about them is way too human!"

"And what the hell is wrong with that?"

Kim ignored that question.


	7. The Explosion

They had managed to transport Wooyoung back to the life pod in one piece by making him grab onto San to his left and Seonghwa to his right. Both of the androids had no difficulties pulling Wooyoung’s limp form along, and Kim was right behind them, his face dipped into the water to keep an eye on their surroundings. Wooyoung felt the strain on his arms while holding on, and his elevated sigh when Lifepod 5 finally came into view was felt by everybody.  
They had been tense, swimming over the sandy dunes in constant expectation of being ambushed by the Reaper Leviathan. Now that they had finally arrived safely just as the sun dipped into the ocean, bathing it in an orange glow, everybody finally calmed down again.

Wooyoung was pushed against San while Seonghwa dove to open the hatch for them. Kim followed right up, and Wooyoung was left alone with San, who held the two of them above the water with gentle kicks of his feet. He was careful not to jostle Wooyoung’s legs too much, and Wooyoung appreciated the kindness.

"How do you feel, Wooyoungie? Does it hurt badly?" San was pouting while he was talking, his lips looking oh so kissable and his expressive eyes gentle. Wooyoung reached out with his fingers that he had looped around the man’s neck, brushing San's wet hair back. San gave an appreciative hum, giggling when Wooyoung also tapped the tip of his nose.

"I'm alright. Thank you for taking such good care of me."

Wooyoung was horribly soft for San and it wasn’t surprising. They had spent a lot of time together working on projects together; it was only natural for Wooyoung to fall for him. San was adorable and such a good friend at any time, and he had actually been the first one to tell Wooyoung about his feelings. Wooyoung had yet to accept them, but he could imagine it vividly. Dating this android would fill his heart with happiness.

Hence it was all the more confusing for him as to why Kim reacted to them the way he did. Wooyoung could only guess what his reasons were. Maybe he’d had some traumatic childhood memories. Perhaps he preferred the people around him to be fully human. However, that didn’t explain his hatred towards their similarities to humanity. It was no bad thing; they worked together with actual humans so well. And still, it was evident that they were androids, so what was his problem?

"Hey, Sannie."

The android hummed, having just nuzzled against Wooyoung’s cheek in an attempt to distract him from the pain. Wooyoung pressed a soft kiss against his cheek before the android pulled back, smiling brightly at him. Wooyoung finally poked his dimples, making San’s face lit up further.

"Objectively speaking... Seonghwa is attractive, no? Like for human standards."

San suspiciously narrowed his eyes at him, possessively pulling him in a bit closer. His jealousy was apparent, and Wooyoung was quick to laugh it off, peppering gentle kisses over San’s face to stop him from sulking.

"I'm not talking about me, stupid. Kim, do you think he would be attracted to Seonghwa? If he was human?" He wondered, squinting down into the water to make sure that they weren’t coming back yet. He needed to keep his evil plans to himself for now.

"Hmm. I guess so, yes. But Doctor Kim hasn’t properly look at me once today. I don't think he’s aware of Seonghwa. But sure, I could imagine them together." San shrugged it off, making Wooyoung give another deep hum.

He didn’t know Team Leader Kim well enough to know what his relationship with his designated robot was like. However, he was hell-bent on making the man see that androids were not half as bad as he thought them to be. And what could possibly work better to make him understand that than having him fall for one of the people he despised so much? It was the perfect plan.

"I see you becoming devious again." San gave a low chuckle, brushing Wooyoung’s dark hair back in a mirror of his earlier gesture. Wooyoung watched the sunset dance on San’s fair skin, not understanding how anybody could not appreciate him.

"You don’t like the way Doctor Kim treats you, right? And from what I’ve seen from Seonghwa, it bothers him too." Wooyoung's eyes were shining, his mouth moving quickly. He pretended not to notice how San's eyes dropped to observe his lips intensely, carrying on. San gave a distracted nod.

"So what about we make him see his mistakes? We don't have to be all aggressive towards him about it, but we can make sure he knows there's nothing unnatural about us! Just so he will treat you nicely, what do you think?"

San grinned at him, nuzzling once again.

"I like that idea. So we’re just going to be ourselves and make sure not to hold back in front of Kim? I can do that. But who knows, he might still not fall for Seonghwa."

"Yeah, but he might try to see androids in a different light. I don't care if he marries Seonghwa in the end or maybe the android who is actually assigned to him. Or maybe nobody at all. I just want him to verbally agree with me that you are no bad person just because you have blue eyes."

San laughed again, pressing Wooyoung closer against his muscular body when the shift in the water announced somebody's presence.

"There are a few other things that make me not entirely human, but sure, let's try. I love indulging in your evil little ploys."

Wooyoung nodded at him with a cheeky grin, turning to look at Seonghwa then who had just pushed through the surface. He threw his hair back, his sharp eyes quickly focusing on them.

"Alright, here we go. Medico Kim will pull you up."

Both of them nodded, dipping down to enter the life pod from beneath. Kim helped Wooyoung up into the relatively small space. He ignored the androids as he smoothly reached over to the compartment to get Wooyoung a healthy protein bar to snack on. San carefully stepped between them, getting comfortable behind Wooyoung so the human could lean into his chest and not strain his injuries.

Seonghwa took a seat further away from them, looking out the windows over to the darkening ocean towards the Aurora. His sudden announcement came at the same time as San's, both speaking in one voice.

"Warning. Local radiation readings suggest the Aurora's drive core has reached critical state.  
Quantum detonation will occur within 2 hours."

Wooyoung gently patted San's leg, knowing that he didn’t appreciate being used as a speaker like that. He sneaked a peek at Kim, who looked defensive all over again, his face set into a scowl as he looked back and forth between Seonghwa and San.

Thankfully, he didn’t comment on it, though. Wooyoung had feared he would try to throw the androids out of the life pod somewhen. He felt too weak to fight Kim right now, his legs still throbbing while the flesh mended itself back together.

"We’re safe over here, right?" Kim checked again with Seonghwa, and the android nodded, not speaking anymore after having received a glare for that right now.

It was not even Seonghwa’s fault; the announcements just got voiced out by his throat. He didn’t choose to do so. Wooyoung wanted to hit Kim for the injustice he put the unfortunate android through. Seonghwa was literally used to being in a locker all day, not talking to anybody and only ever alone. It was not like they could shut him off. Maybe they should put Kim in a locker for once and see if he was still rude afterwards.

Wooyoung childishly stuck his tongue out at Kim when he wasn't looking. He felt San's laughter vibrate in his chest.

"We should try to get some rest. PSH, I want you to do more scans of the area. Go off as far as you deem necessary, but don’t put yourself in danger. San... Could you wake us as soon as the explosion starts?" Kim looked exhausted. While Wooyoung was still functioning on the energy blast, their encounter with the Reaper Leviathan had given them, now that Kim mentioned it, he felt all of it coming back to him.

Waking up on a foreign planet, meeting that monster, getting injured, finding the Aurora, coming back here, meeting those two... It had been a tiring day, and Wooyoung understood the need to rest too well.

"Affirmative. I will return before the explosion starts in case of an emergency." Seonghwa swiftly slipped out into the water again, pulling the hatch shut securely behind him. Maybe Wooyoung hated Kim just a bit more for sending the man out at night. He did know the androids had feelings, right?

"Rest assured, Medico Kim. I'll make sure to keep an eye on our surroundings." San gently pulled Wooyoung to lay down at his side, snuggled up against his android comfortably. Kim didn't look at them, already having turned his face towards the wall.

"Let's just switch to Hongjoong now. I will spend enough time with you people on this godforsaken planet; I do not need the constant reminders of who I am,” he grumbled sleepily, and Wooyoung smirked at San.

Oh, they would so relay that information to Seonghwa.

San merely smiled back and hummed to Hongjoong affirmatively before he cuddled up against Wooyoung. His body was warm and quickly lulled Wooyoung to sleep.

-

They had slept for more than two hours. Wooyoung felt well-rested when he woke up, blindly reaching for San behind him. The man grabbed his flailing hand with a chuckle immediately, caressing his fingers tenderly.

"Announcement incoming. Emergency: A quantum detonation has occurred in the Aurora's drive core."

Hongjoong shifted across the room, blearily blinking up at them. Wooyoung noticed his eyes quickly searching the room for Seonghwa, not finding the man. Hongjoong was up in seconds then, scaling the ladder up to the pod and climbing out to watch the spectacle. Wooyoung and San quickly followed, the announcement still ongoing while San helped a sluggish Wooyoung to climb up.

"The reactor will reach a super critical state in T- 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2..."

They settled down together right at the same moment when Seonghwa's head popped out of the water beneath them, checking on them fleetingly before focusing back on the Aurora. Wooyoung looked from San and his mismatched counting back to the Aurora, the numbers fading in his ears.

And then the ship exploded.

A powerful blast came first. It traveled from the ship right over the surface of the water, making it ripple and their life pod swayed minutes after when it reached them. It was followed by fire, the hull exploding first, and sending metal flying. Smaller and fewer explosions followed over the ship, everything catching fire and making dark smoke pollute the bright blue sky.

They watched until not much else happened. Sometimes more bits of metal broke off, other times something collapsed. Wooyoung felt constricted, oddly apathetic to the happenings even when that was his ship, his workplace, and there might have people died just now that he had known for years. It might’ve been because of the shock, Wooyoung didn’t know.

"We'll need radiation suits for the two of you. And some good old fire extinguishers.", San commented quietly, watching Seonghwa, who was just climbing up to them on the side of the pod. He was dripping wet, his black hair hanging across his face in some single strands, but he still looked alright.

Wooyoung was glad. He never wanted to set foot in those waters willingly again and spending a night in there? No fucking way.

"When can we go?" It was Hongjoong speaking, his eyes wide with horror and pity. Wooyoung was pretty sure he saw tears shimmering on his cheeks, be it of sadness or devastation over the ship exploding - who knew. Wooyoung also noticed Seonghwa reaching out for the man in an attempt to comfort him. Wooyoung caught his hands in their movement, gently shaking his head at him when Seonghwa looked at him confusedly.

They needed time.

"As soon as we get the suits. Maybe today. I'd rather have it be tomorrow though. Woo will have healed until then."

Hongjoong nodded grimly, gesturing for Seonghwa to follow him, before jumping into the water.


	8. Diving Deeper

Hongjoong paid no mind to PSH, who was swimming right by his side again. He had no specific goal in mind when he had jumped into the water; he just needed the distraction from the endless spiral of guilt and sadness his heart had gotten sucked into. His treacherous mind tried to convince him that everything that had happened was his fault and could have maybe even been prevented. He knew it was nonsense, but he had no means of distraction on this godforsaken planet. He could only suffer quietly, angry at himself for letting his brain trick him.  
  
What would he have done? Catch the Aurora safely in his arms?  
  
He knew thinking about it was a waste of time, so he wanted to use it more wisely. And what was better for that than exploring this planet? He could at least try to find some clues on how to get back home while he was gloomy. There might also be some distractions on the way.  
  
The warm water around him already soothed his muscles, easing his tension. And even if he didn't like having that android behind him, he would try to talk to him if it meant he was not alone with his head. PSH was probably even better for that than Wooyoung. Hongjoong could just dump his worries on the android without having to care about burdening him.  
  
"Do you think we can repair the Aurora and fly it home?", Hongjoong asked PSH in a low voice, his eyes glued to a big shark that was busy with digging a hole into the sand to hide in right now. Maybe he would stay away a bit farther from the ground from now on.  
  
"I don't see a problem with flying it back, but repairing it might get difficult. We do not have the means to do so, and some important parts might be broken beyond utility. We would need to find new resources to use as substitutes. And even then, it is highly unlikely we can cross space with it."  
  
For an oh-so human robot with feelings, he sure was cold. Hongjoong still saw no use in pretending anything else.  
  
With slow but powerful movements, he dived down deeper, ditching the kelp forest to their right to turn left. There was a quicker route to the grassy plateaus from here, and Hongjoong idly grabbed a Floater on his way, squishing it absent-mindedly.  
  
"Did you pick up any signs of life on the ship?" Hongjoong knew he wasn't supposed to ask. PSH knew exactly how many people had still been alive on board while they were there, and he was able to calculate how likely their chances of survival were regarding the explosion.  
  
Hongjoong shouldn't ask. And he still did.  
  
"I am unsure whether that information might jeopardize your current state of mind. You already seem distraught. Do you need me to run a scan on you?"  
  
Useless android. He could not even do what he was told to.  
  
"Stop recommending things that only waste our time and just tell me. I expect you to answer when I ask you a question. I don't need artificial empathy from you," Hongjoong bit out, turning to glare at the man. PSH immediately lowered his head respectfully. His voice was sharp like a knife when he spoke, cutting through Hongjoong's heart mercilessly with every word.  
  
"When we visited the Aurora, I detected thirty-two beating hearts around the ship. I was not close enough to scan how healthy they were, and some of them might have already died before we returned to Lifepod 5. Regarding their distance to the main explosion, twenty-six of them will have died if they didn't move at that time. I am positive that the radiation or their injuries will also kill the rest of them by today or tomorrow. We might find one or two survivors. I memorized their locations, so if we manage to get in tomorrow, we can check on every single one of them."  
  
It must have been the Operating Crew. They were responsible for staying on the ship until it crashed in case they could still repel the accident. If there was no way in, there was also no way out, and they had been doomed to await the explosion without being able to flee.  
  
Hongjoong was choked up, felt his heart ache for them, but he stubbornly refused to cry. He needed to be reliable. There was nothing more they could do. Even out here, regarding that leviathan and everything, it was highly unlikely that many people survived.  
  
It was not supposed to be like this. They were all supposed to live, no only the four of them.  
  
More than before, he feared for Jongho now, for Lydia. Where were they? Did they survive? How were they supposed to find them out here in the vast ocean?  
  
PSH's words were cold and lethal, but they also managed to wake Hongjoong up. They would have to go there tomorrow and try to save anybody they could. He still had people to protect. He needed to find Jongho and Lydia, literally any other person who might have survived the crash. He had found Wooyoung too, and if Wooyoung was the only person he could save, the anchor his sanity could hold onto, then so be it.  
  
He could at least do that.  
  
Hongjoong nibbled on his lip, angrily squishing the Floater that contently stuck to his gloves.  
  
"I know you do not wish to hear of my 'artificial empathy', but any guilt you are feeling is fabricated by your mind. Those people did not hate you for leaving them there. They took a risk that came with their jobs, and every single one of them prayed for the other survivors to be well. They had no means of knowing that you were out there. The possibility to die on this planet is very high anyway," PSH kept on talking unpromptedly again and Hongjoong scoffed, feeling his hurt get washed away by anger. With a sharp movement, he halted, turning around to face the android.  
  
"Oh, fuck off. You can't read their minds, and neither can you read mine. You being the cold robot you are can easily say things like 'don't worry' and 'it's okay'. But those calculations of possibilities, those... numbers, it's utter nonsense. These are human lives and emotions we're talking about. And you damn tin can have no idea how those work! So what if they can make you smile and cry and laugh? You have no idea what feeling actually entails. So stop trying to pretend you do and stop patronizing me. I don't need that from you!" Hongjoong was ranting, his emotions getting the better of him as if they wanted to support his claims. That stupid android had no idea.  
  
"But I am actually able to understand how your mind works quite quickly. And I can see that-"  
  
"What can you see?! My stats? My heart rate? My blood pressure?! So what if you can? It's worth nothing; you are worth nothing in that aspect! Hell yeah, thanks for telling me about the distressed waves my brain emits, but you have no fucking idea on how a heart works. None of you bastards do because that is all you are good for! Data, calculations, statistics." Hongjoong was downright yelling at him; he felt angry and desperate. He wanted to cry; he wanted to curl up somewhere and scream about the bitterness of the world. But at the same time, he wanted to stop hearing those comments from a stupid robot.  
  
PSH's face remained calm, only ever curious but never reacting. He did not scream back; he did not look hurt — just his impassive self.  
  
"Go away. You're making it worse. I don't have the energy to scream at you because you just can't understand. Whatever I'll say." His throat felt sore from his screaming, and Hongjoong furiously threw the Floater away. It ascended to the water surface, disappearing from his view.  
  
Idly the red grasses swayed beneath them, but PSH did not leave. Hongjoong felt his eyebrow twitch with annoyance.  
  
"I said, go back. Why don't you listen to me, you stupid-"  
  
"It is unjust to assume that I am trying to patronize or look down on you in any way. Your emotional intelligence might be higher purely based on your race, but that does not mean that I have bad intentions. I will not leave you alone, as you are clearly not coherent right now. I will also remind you that us androids are not designed to be tools for you to order around. We help, we do not serve. You should be careful when trying to order me around. I am able to refuse your orders, and I am a protection unit. Thus, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety even if you do not approve." PSH talked smoothly and without the distress that had been evident in Hongjoong's voice. His eyes seemed darker than earlier however, making Hongjoong shiver at the implications of him getting data on how to be angry.  
  
It probably made the human hate him that much more.  
  
"Then you're not even good for taking orders. Do whatever the fuck you want, but leave me alone." With that, he turned, swimming off as quickly as possible. His brusque movements make the schools of fish avoid him warily, not appreciating how he stirred up the water.  
  
At least he was doing sports already. If he hadn't been moving and getting rid of that anger right now, he might have grabbed PSH at his impeccable collar and fought him with both fists.  
  
Hongjoong did not look around, not caring if PSH had a change of mind and instead dipped down in some cave. For a moment, deep darkness surrounded him as he impatiently pushed past lost fishes as he went deeper.  
  
Soon, however, the bioluminescent flora down here managed to light up his surroundings again. They bathed the cave in a calming purple that seemed to mainly radiate from the jellyfish-like plants on the ceiling.  
  
If Hongjoong knew one thing, it was not to touch purple jellyfish.  
  
His survival instincts slowly came back to him, cooling him down while he dodged some passive life forms passing him and kept his eyes open for aggressive ones. He slowly went deeper, memorizing every single plant he saw and trying to exert his knowledge from other planets and alien species on them. Usually, at least the signs of danger were the same. It was mainly teeth.  
  
He was just swimming away, while sometimes pushing himself deeper by the walls when the cave started to curve upwards again. As it seemed, those systems had connected ways and multiple exits. He might want to remember that.  
  
Hongjoong followed the curve, dodging something that looked like a fat green caterpillar when suddenly a voice spoke up behind him. Hongjoong startled hard enough that he hit his knee on the ground of the thin tunnels, not really able to turn.  
  
"What the hell?!"  
  
PSH was behind him - of course, he was - and he had pressed his hand on his lips, his eyes widened apologetically. Hongjoong looked back at him with a roll of his eyes, nodding at him to speak.  
  
"Excuse me, I just- _This is Lifepod 3, can you -_ I am trying not to - _is Jongho, Jongho....... I'm with_ \- it constantly breaks off." He kept being interrupted by the message, but Hongjoong had already grabbed him by the arm impatiently, yanking him up to his side.

Jongho?

It was a tight fit, the tunnel around them not particularly fond of them squeezing together, but it did not matter.  
  
"Stop talking. Let me hear." Hongjoong leaned his head in close to PSH's mouth, trying to pick up on the faint voice that kept being interrupted by the signal.  
  
" _..... are ....... cave....... not- alone....... Jongho! You hear, it's........ request help........ need....... can't....... cave!.......... ----_ " It broke off entirely and for a second Hongjoong froze before slapping PSH's chest as if he was a stubborn radio.  
  
When the android gave a little sound of protest, Hongjoong merely glared at him before finally moving back. He could not stop his hands from trembling, a disbelieving smile twitching around the corners of his mouth.  
  
"He's alive! Jongho is alive! We can get him! Let's go get him!" He accidentally kicked PSH on his way up, not caring in the slightest. His heart was filled with joy and relief.  
  
Jongho was somewhere out there.


	9. The Aurora's Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood and Gore

Hongjoong was in a much lighter mood when they finally took off towards the Aurora the next day. After he had told Wooyoung and San about the message Jongho had left them, both of them had grabbed onto each other, squealing happily. Their whole team felt hopeful. They still had some people to save, and maybe one of them even had an idea of how to leave this planet.

Hongjoong was now peacefully swimming - without having another fight with PSH this time.

He had his head in the water, looking down over the kelp forest that soon turned into the red grasses as they swam. They were swimming at a steady pace, and PSH was mumbling under his breath about anything and everything they saw. Sometimes, when he was feeling generous, Hongjoong listened to his rambling, but he didn't react to it with fascinated hums like Wooyoung did.

He didn't understand the man's desperate need to be kind to the androids anyway. Who was he fooling? Did pretending they were human make him feel any better?

But even though Hongjoong was repelled by Wooyoung's closeness to San, he didn't complain about it. He had his ways of coping, and Hongjoong had his own. He didn't want to start a fight right now.

Instead, Hongjoong focused on their upcoming mission. He'd made sure that they had some medical kits with them so they could treat people if they needed to. He was also somehow hoping that the radiation inside of the Aurora was not too harmful. If they always wore their by now equipped suits, maybe they could even start a base there.

Hongjoong really hoped to find something useful.

When the water slowly grew murkier, Hongjoong finally picked his head up, glancing over to Wooyoung, who was giggling with San as they swam side by side. Those dunes were the area they had found the Reaper Leviathan in, and Hongjoong worried for the other man's nerves. For now, he seemed fine, though.

"According to the data San accounted from your encounter with the leviathan, there are probably two of them around here. The time it would have taken the one we heard to swim to the other end of the Aurora is too long for it so be the same creature. So we can safely assume that there is one at the hull and another one at the bow of the ship. As they are territorial, that would mean we should swim the exact way in we came back last time," PSH reminded them again. He led the way, Hongjoong merely rolling his eyes at him.

Still, he understood. He was not quite sure whether he wanted to look down and check for some strange fish or preferred to keep his head over water. He ended up deciding that it was better let the people with scan sensors handle this.

From what he heard from Wooyoung, the shock of meeting one of those leviathans was quite the same anyway. So Hongjoong kept his head above the water, listening to any possible sounds his ears could pick up.

Even while doing so, he was distracted by the big ship in front of them. The Aurora had not sunken any further, so it must have hit the ground somewhere, but it was still burning, the black smoke accompanied by rubble falling constantly.

They made it there without any further problems, no leviathan appearing to yell at them. When they finally crawled up the ramp towards the ship, Wooyoung visibly relaxed with relief. San rubbed his back gently, whispering quiet assurances.

Hongjoong snorted at them, taking it upon himself to search for a way inside. PSH followed him without another comment, but Hongjoong could feel the dissatisfaction radiating off him. Hongjoong ignored him.

He was careful with his steps, not taking off his breathing equipment since the smoke in here could probably also kill them easily. That's why felt all the more wrong to have PSH walking next to him without any kind of protection. He looked far too human for that.

They eventually found a door that had been forced open by some kind of beam that had fallen into it. It looked safe to pass, so Hongjoong started climbing through, carefully checking its stability first before he put and of his weight on it.

He tried his best not to slip and heaved a sigh of relief when he made it across without anything coming to tumble down on him. PSH emerged behind him, stepping into the next room. While the android started putting out the fires that were making it hard to maneuver through the hot room, Hongjoong turned to yell at Wooyoung to hurry up.

When Wooyoung finally joined them, his hair was a bit mussed up, his big eyes shining with glee.

"Sorry. I had to give Sannie here a kiss as thanks for calming me down first.", he grinned brightly before reaching out to help his android over the last pieces of rubble.

Hongjoong grimaced. "Gross."

Wooyoung laughed, skipping much too close to Hongjoong to throw one arm over his shoulders. "What, that he is a man? Come on, Joong, don't be such a prude. We left that stuff in the past."

Hongjoong shoved him off with a growl, trailing behind PSH.

"Not that. You know exactly what I mean. Focus, please." With that, he closed up on the android who was already scanning the walls surrounding them. Their whiteness was all scratched up, bare metal glinting through. There were cables and pipes hanging freely out of the confines, emitting sparks and some questionable fluids. Hongjoong sure hoped none of that would be too inflammable. At least there was no water inside yet.

PSH's face had fallen into a grim frown. He looked troubled, as if trying to filter out hurtful information from his words.

It was another thing humans did, and Hongjoong shivered when he saw it on the man's youthful face.

"What is it? Did you find the survivors? Are there any?" Hongjoong wrenched another door open, stepping over the remains of a tattered android whose body parts laid strewn around all through the room. Their metallic insides were laid bare, some dark liquids pooling beneath them. Hongjoong made sure not to step into anything as he crossed the room, pretending not to see the way Wooyoung was hiding San's eyes from the view.

They had a peculiar relationship. Wooyoung must have been very lonely if he was even playing with his android.

"There are three. One female and two males. However, the female is far in the back of the ship, and I fear we will have trouble reaching her." PSH heaved away a large piece of metal that was blocking their way, stopping inside of the room. Before Hongjoong could follow him, the man was already lifting a hand for him to stop, his eyes fixed on something in a corner.

"Do not proceed. I will make sure to clean this up first before you have to see it."

Hongjoong rolled his eyes again, slapping away the hand and stepping in. He tried to pretend that his stomach didn't churn when he looked at the corpse in the corner. Their brains and blood were splattered all over the walls, staining everything red. It seemed cruel, as if a falling beam had pressed them out against the wall like a ripe fruit. He merely looked away again, continuing on his way as it was now San's turn to protect Wooyoung's eyes from this mess.

They went further up, putting out fires wherever they could and searching for the first survivor. They stumbled upon more corpses, human and android, and they all seemed to have died a painful death when hit by the explosion. The feeling of accidentally stepping on a ribcage that had been speared open behind some rubble would haunt Hongjoong for a long time.

Hongjoong felt queasy when they finally opened the last door that separated them from the first survivor, and he stumbled over some metal bar lying around. PSH was right behind him, catching him with an arm around Hongjoong's waist.

Hongjoong immediately froze up, his body hanging in the man's sturdy grip like a scared bunny for a long moment. Then he quickly scrambled away, brushing PSH's off his arm.

"Next time you touch me I'm going to chop your stupid robot hands off. Keep those fingers to yourself." The threat was hissed lowly, quiet enough for San and Wooyoung to not hear any of it. It worked. The android pulled away with another frown.

He put up his arms in defense, signaling that he would keep them to himself from now on. Hongjoong nodded at him icily, stepping into the corridor.

There was indeed a person there, an injured man who had weakly lifted his pistol at them only to take it right back down when he recognized them. He looked horrible, as if holding on to his life with the last bits of strength left to him.

His shirt was stained with blood and hair he had started to lose. He was sitting in a puddle of whatever liquid it was and the way his empty eyes flickered up to PSH when the robot immediately ran over made Hongjoong wince.

"Scanning. The patient has contacted 35 sieverts of lethal radiation. Multiple inner organs have stopped working. Immediate help will no longer be sufficient. Lapse into coma is imminent. An acute circulatory collapse will occur in about three hours. No outer injuries detected." PSH concentratedly pulled some uncomfortable looking box from behind the man's back. The poor guy managed a weak smile. He lifted a hand to weakly pat Seonghwa's knee that was by now covered in the man's blood from where he was kneeling.

Hongjoong came over too, gritting his jaw at the man's situation. It was apparent that any help would not be enough.

"Sir, can you hear us? We come from outside. Is there anything we can do to ease your... last moments?" Hongjoong tried to speak calmly, reassuring the dying man as good as possible.

The man spoke in a soundless whisper, dried blood caking his lips. When he noticed their confused faces, his hand twitched, pointing further towards the hull.

"There is another survivor in that direction; yes, I can detect him. You want us to go there?" PSH's voice was gentle and caring even though he had probably never seen that man before. The man nodded with a rattling breath, his eyes zoning out again. Hongjoong rose to warn Wooyoung, whose steps were slowly growing closer, of the current situation, leaving PSH with the man.

Wooyoung stayed outside with his android; his faces troubled when he received the news. Hongjoong turned to go back to the man then only to nearly walk into PSH's chest when the android was suddenly right behind him. He moved back from the man with a glare, nodding at the limp man.

"What are you doing? We should stay with him in his last moments. Or is that too human for you to understand?"

"This man just asked me to take his life to ease his pain. As I am not programmed to kill humans, I need your aid there," he said flatly, his eyes boring down into Hongjoong's with rage. Hongjoong sighed, stepping around him.

Again, he kneeled in front of the man, smiling full of pain.

"Do you want me to put you to sleep? Most of my techniques won't work on your body anymore, but I still have some things that can make you drift off more comfortably." He reached out to take the man's hand, beckoning PSH closer over his shoulder. The dying man nodded slowly, making Hongjoong's heart clench with remorse again.

He wished he could have saved the man. But the amount of radiation he had suffered through was clearly too much.

Hongjoong took a syringe from the medical kit, filling it with the pain killers that came with it. With another firm nod, he inserted it to the man's sickly pale arm, carefully pushing down.

"In another minute, you will be in no more pain. Thank you for staying strong through all of this," Hongjoong murmured, handing the syringe back for PSH to disinfect after.

The man blinked once, twice, thankful before closing his eyes finally. Hongjoong watched him fall asleep before rising to his feet again. He cleared his throat while nodding at Wooyoung to join them.

"He pointed us to the hull. I reckon going there first and then checking the damage on the ship is a good idea to know whether we can save the last person somehow. Are you feeling alright still?"

Wooyoung nodded, holding onto San's arm tightly. His face was pale, but it only seemed to be from queasiness so far. He and Hongjoong were treading dangerous waters by staying here for a longer time. Even their suits would not be able to stop all the radiation from damaging their bodies.

"Alright, then let's go."

They took off walking again.


	10. Captain Bang

Hongjoong felt his muscles tire quickly while on their way through the ship, and he soon relied solely on PSH on moving any rubble out of their way. The android was more durable than him anyway, and Hongjoong could let his protesting body rest a bit on their way to the next survivor.

Wooyoung and San still stuck to each other as if glued together. Sometimes their soothing whispers to each other traveled to Hongjoong's ears, and every time he heard them murmuring to each other, he wondered about them more. Were they dating? Why would anybody even want to date a piece of metal? Had Wooyoung become one of those mad scientists the world still heard of continuously?

Hongjoong tried not to pay too much mind to it, but he felt himself get distracted by it several times. Once he looked over in the exact moment that Wooyoung rose to his tiptoes to press a little kiss to San's cheek. The android had comfortably wrapped one arm around the other male's waist and let him lean against his body in a way that made them look way too familiar with each other.

When Wooyoung caught Hongjoong's eyes with an impish grin, Hongjoong averted his gaze.

It probably took them two hours to reach the bridge of the ship, and when they were finally there, they had seen more dead bodies than Hongjoong's weak mind could endure. The images of cruelly mutilated bodies that were strewn all around had already ingrained themselves in his head forever, no matter how indifferent he tried to be and no matter how much Wooyoung kept distracting him.

"We should leave soon. The radiation will start to get to you," San quietly remarked from where he just joined them at moving the metal scraps away from the door to the central control room. However, even when they came through, there was still a big beam blocking them from going inside. It had fallen in the open door slantwise and seemed to support too much of the room to be removed safely.

They could see inside of the room still, however, and it sufficed to find the man they had been searching for.

"Can you hear us? This is PSH 22 with Medico Kim. We also have Medico Jung and CS 19 with us.", PSH asked through the narrow gaps carefully. The gap at his eye level was as big as his head but too high up for Hongjoong to actually see through. However, when PSH suddenly turned very quiet, Hongjoong looked around as well, trying to find the source of that change.

"Seonghwa." It came in a rush from inside, like a tensed breath that was finally let go, and Hongjoong knew that voice.

It was the Captain. Captain Bang Yongguk.

"You lived, I'm glad, I- I feared for too many people." Slender and tanned hands reached out through the gap, and PSH took them in his own tenderly, locking their fingers together. The android looked oddly... somber. Hurt was evident in his eyes, but it seemed sincere. There was something Hongjoong was missing.

"You are locked inside? We can break you free, just give me a moment." PSH turned, letting the man's fingers slip away only to be grabbed again. He was held back by the human, leaning in close against the rubble still.

His face was conflicted, the frown he showed painful.

Once again, Hongjoong was missing information. What kind of relationship did PSH have with Bang?

"Don't. Stay here. I need to tell you something. Listen well, Seonghwa, alright?"

"Of course, but- The radiation, are you-"

"I managed to get a hold of one of the suits, yes. Here, wait a second."

Hongjoong did not see what the man was doing, but then the sound of paper ripping could be heard, and he handed over a sheet to PSH.

Yongguk continued talking and his voice was deep and soothing as ever. Hongjoong had always liked listening to him, he was a respectable man. He was one to look after his crew competently, and Hongjoong still remembered coming on board five years ago as a shy little scientist fresh out of school. Yongguk had received him with a big grin and a friendly handshake, his calmness radiant. While Hongjoong did not see him often in the labs of the ship, he for sure enjoyed their sporadic talks in the corridor.

"This is a map I drew. It's ugly, but I saw some things out there while the ship was crashing. There are islands, two of them. You can get there and hopefully find safe surroundings. Here, see? This one has more mountains on it. Take the other one to build a camp. I already sent out multiple distress calls to the bases around here. Maybe soon..." His voice sounded roughened up from speaking that much in a rush. PSH interrupted him again, and Hongjoong felt his fingers twitch into a fist as he kept himself from calling the rude android out.

"But you are... Won't you come with us? We can get you out, really. I can just-"

"Seonghwa."

Bang's hands were gentle when he let go of PSH's fingers. He gingerly cradled the android's jaw in his hands, his thumbs coming down to rub mindless circles onto PSH's cheeks. Hongjoong watched on with wide eyes as PSH's eyelashes fluttered shut, leaning into the welcoming touch of the other.

San gave a low hum, pulling Wooyoung closer to his side.

What the hell was going on here?

"I won't join you out there. I'm the captain. I will stay here and do my utmost to ensure you will survive. You, Kim, Jung, and San too. I'm safe, and I have food rations here. I will direct any incoming messages right to your life pod. If anybody finds us, they will find the Aurora first. Somebody needs to hold the position."

Hongjoong gulped, shuffling a bit over towards PSH so he could get a look at the man. He did not see much, just some dark curls of hair peeking out from behind the metal beam. His hands were firm, however. He had made his decision.

"I... understand. But I will try to check up on your health regularly. I know I will not be able to sway your mind, but please... Take care. We will find you before we get to leave. We will take you with us," PSH promised quietly. He put his left hand over Yongguk's, embracing the warmth of the captain.

Yongguk gave a low chuckle, humming at the other man.

"I will. I get the calls first, you know. You are in good hands here. They are in even better hands. Take care."

"It's Lifepod 5." PSH turned his head, pressing a little kiss - one that felt way too intimate for the current setting - against the knuckles of Yongguk's hand. Hongjoong felt himself blush, quickly looking away.

What the hell? Did the captain have an affair with that android? Impossible. It had to be some kind of respect thing. PSH was programmed to obey this man, and this man only, it had to be some God complex.

Hongjoong felt mightily repelled, and Wooyoung clinging to the last android in the room with a fond smile did not make things better. How was everybody around him suddenly dating their androids? It was weird and wrong.

"Understood. Don't worry about me. I will also find a way out if I deem it necessary. But you should leave soon. Your dive suits are not made for staying in here for long." Yongguk directed that sentence at Hongjoong, finally letting go of PSH again. The man stepped back remorsefully, rolling up the paper in his hands before putting it in his thigh compartment.

"You're sure you don't need help?" Hongjoong stepped a bit closer to the opening now, peeking in. Yongguk was looking down at him with those dark eyes of his, his lips set into a grim line. He nodded once.

Hongjoong could respect that. It confused him to no end as to how a man like Yongguk could have a close relationship to the androids and not feel strange about it, but he would not begin to question his captain now in those difficult times. At least he didn't seem to have suffered any significant injuries from the crash. He was probably better off inside there as long as he chose to stay. That special radiation suit might help too, even if it didn't look very different from Hongjoong's own.

"I'm fine. You should really leave now. I have your data, some of the machines are still working. I will come to find you if I have to." He'd said it in a sincere tone, so Hongjoong just nodded with another gulp. He would not have to see the man die today, but the knowledge of him still being here on this ghost ship was disturbing to him. He hated leaving him behind, even if he could be sure that he would survive.

He couldn't imagine staying here, hoping and waiting while surrounded by all those dead bodies. But he also wasn't Captain Bang. Bang had lived much longer than him, was older, more experienced. He knew what decision was best for them.

"Will another explosion be likely? We can get you off before that," San carefully spoke up, his voice small, and his lips formed into a pout as he was speaking. Wooyoung smiled torturedly at him, but his worried eyes were fixed on Yongguk too. The captain merely pushed his hair back with his left hand, shaking his head.

"I don't think so. There is nothing left to explode. However, your life pod and Seonghwa's PDA will tell you if there is any danger coming up. You just need to make sure to stay out of harm's way. I will find a way out if I need to."

San nodded in a troubled manner, moving back into Wooyoung's embrace once more. PSH nervously played with his hands next to Hongjoong.

"If you do, beware of the fish outside. There are some vicious ones around." Hongjoong was already turning to leave. He would not risk his health for a man that had made a decision. He had to go think, and they had to go to that island. Maybe Jongho had crashed there and was only thinking he was in a cave because it was dark out in front of his window? At least they could explore a bit better from an island.

"I will, thank you. I will try to collect as much data on this planet as possible. The Aurora has a quite functional scan system." He sounded confident, his eyes still locked to PSH who seemed unwilling to leave just yet. Hongjoong couldn't even bring himself to roll his eyes. Somehow his stomach told him that this was something deeper, something more serious.

"Then... see you. Hopefully, you can join us as soon as possible. We can still wait for the reinforcements together." Hongjoong noticed the crack in PSH's voice, the way his eyes still showed hurt. Of course, he might not understand how the human concept of sacrifices worked, but Hongjoong just knew he wouldn't look at just anybody like that.

He sure was programmed well. Hongjoong suspected that they had taken that function of dog-like obedience from the newer robots, though. San didn't look nearly as affected, holding Wooyoung calmly.

"Yeah. Leave now. You will hear from me." Yongguk lifted his hand in greeting, giving a little crooked smile that Hongjoong returned as earnestly as possible. And then they turned, walking back towards the entrance. It felt strange, leaving the man here. Hongjoong did not stop thinking about it, wondering whether he should go back of if that would hurt Yongguk's pride.

They did try to get through to the other side but had to give up when soon all the corridors had basically been folded in half by the explosion, making it impossible to get through. For a while longer, they dug around, desperate and hopeful until PSH finally shook his head.

"The signal is getting weaker. I do not think we will get to save her."

And with that they stopped, reluctantly turning to head back.

They would go find those islands tomorrow. And from there on, they would go to every single life pod and save whoever was possible. Jongho, Lydia, and all the people on the ship Hongjoong only ever saw in passing.

On their way home, they heard the leviathans roar in the distance. But once again, they made it back to Lifepod 5 without getting attacked.

Hongjoong's heart still felt heavy for a long time afterwards.


	11. Trouble

The island Yongguk had pointed out to them was located southwest of their life pod. It was too far for PSH's scans to reach but he was confident that his compass would bring them close enough for him to be able to detect it. Hongjoong had no other choice but to trust him and thus, the four of them set out on their journey after breakfast. Hongjoong was already getting sick of eating fish but thankfully they could filter the salty water with the fabricator. He could live off of fish for a while as long as he at least didn’t have to die of dehydration on a fucking water planet.

Maybe he was being cranky because a full week had passed ever since they had stranded here but there had been no contact with anything around them yet.

PSH ran another health scan on Hongjoong before they entered the water. Wooyoung and San were already inside and playing with the harmless fishes. Hongjoong waited with his feet already dangling in the water. He had gotten used to the feeling of it constantly surrounding him by now. He wasn’t looking at PSH, but he did turn his head when the man gave a surprised hum.

"What is it? Don't tell me I'm infested with the eggs of some bastard fish."

PSH laughed, shaking his head quickly. "No, no, none of that. Your foreign bacteria count has reached statistically significant levels. No adverse effects detected. Be vigilant for symptoms. Have you noticed any unusual about your body?"

"I didn't even notice any foreign bacteria, so how should I?" Hongjoong retorted back full of sass, gritting his jaw at that piece of information. Bacteria were a normal thing to have, any human was constantly covered with them. Sure, he had no means of knowing what these alien bacteria in particular would do to his body, but so far they hadn’t detected any sort of illness that affected his human body.

He needed a break. Getting sick now of all times? Hell no.

"Once we've set up a base on that island I will go about researching it. I just need a lab to do so. Keep me updated." Hongjoong slipped into the water then and PSH followed without another word, carefully pulling the hatch shut behind them. They had taken the rest of their rations with them along with everything that was still valuable. They didn’t plan on returning to this place, so PSH and San got to carry the bags. Maybe they would be able to get the life pod later but for now, it would act as a signal transmitter between them and Yongguk only.

Hongjoong beckoned the two others closer with a wave of his hand before turning to PSH. The man simply nodded into the direction they were supposed to go to and they took off. Just like before, they naturally came together in two teams. PSH was leading the group with Hongjoong close by his side and Wooyoung and San following behind them.

As they were calmly crossing the Safe Shallows, Hongjoong kept counting the entrances to any caves he saw. He stopped after reaching twenty, losing track of where one ended and another began. How high was the possibility of Jongho being trapped somewhere in one of them? No, then the signal would have reached them more clearly. Maybe he was further north? Hongjoong suspected that there were caves literally everywhere around here.

PSH suddenly speaking up after merely ten minutes of silent swimming ripped Hongjoong out of his thoughts. The man had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole morning, even now he refrained from commenting on anything he scanned. Hongjoong didn't care. If he was malfunctioning they still had San to help them survive. Hongjoong just hadn't expected him to start talking suddenly and his comment was even more strange.

"Congratulations, survivor: you have exceeded your weekly exercise quotient by 500%. Data indicates that swimming was your favorite activity. Be sure to vary your routine for uniform muscle development." 

Hongjoong stared at him for a long minute. PSH did not look up, stubbornly swimming straight ahead but Hongjoong could see the little smirk playing around his lips. Hongjoong narrowed his eyes.

"Getting cocky now? I sure as hell hope this constant exercise makes me strong enough to fight you at the given time," he snarled, receiving a side-eye that was accompanied by the arch of one of PSH's thick eyebrows. 

"I would have no trouble whatsoever to beat you in a fight, Medi- Hongjoong. I hope you remember that if you ever choose to physically attack me."

"Hey, who allowed you to call me Hongjoong? Are you even programmed to do that?"

PSH merely nodded over towards San and Wooyoung. When Hongjoong turned to glare at them both of them smiled like little angels, San's bottomless dimples on display.

Traitors.

"If you do not feel comfortable with me doing that, then I can-"

Hongjoong waved off, watching the colorful fishes and plants beneath them pass in a blur. He wanted to put all of them under a microscope so badly. At least he would have interesting things to do while they were waiting for the rescue team to come to get them.

"Whatever, I don't care. But don't expect special treatment for that. I think androids giving each other names is just another sign of them pretending to be human. Humans do that. Not androids." He made sure to make the warning clear, not wanting the man to get too comfortable with him. 

"May I ask what exactly you despise about that fact? We are designed to be as human as possible after all. Humans created us like this. We did not choose this and are merely trying to fulfill the expectations laid upon us. Why do you personally struggle with our existence?" His voice sounded genuinely curious and Hongjoong immediately rolled his eyes at him.

"No personal questions. You just stay quiet and help if you deem yourself so human. Yes, we made you so yes, we give you orders like that. Suck it up."

As if he had to explain himself to a bunch of metal glued together. 

PSH fell silent again after that. He didn't try to joke with him again and Hongjoong was thankful for that, concentrating on swimming only.

They crossed over the Kelp Forest and then went further into the vast blue ocean. Behind the Kelp Forest, the water seemed less bathed in the murky green of the tall plants and rather got a more reef-like character. It was deep, no floor to be seen from their current position close to the water surface. It felt safer up here even if they had nowhere to go anyway.

There were also more mountains here, tall boulders and steep cliffs disrupting the water. They created deep clefts and even more caves as far as Hongjoong could guess. Again, there were so many new things to see. New fishes, new plants. And fortunately no Reaper Leviathans.

PSH was great at ruining his short moment of joy.

"628,59 meters left until the island. Detecting multiple unfamiliar leviathan lifeforms in a radius of 800 meters."

Hongjoong really needed a break.

San and Wooyoung closed up on them as they were crossing the eerie reef, keeping an attentive eye on their surroundings. Nobody was ready to encounter another monster like the Reaper if it was not absolutely necessary.

They were now close enough to the island that they could see it. It didn’t look too big but assessable. He figured it was hidden behind the clouds on most days. 

When his arms grew tired from swimming, Hongjoong allowed San to pull him along for a while so he could rest. San was not as big on trying to talk to Hongjoong as PSH was, so Hongjoong welcomed his closeness more. Wooyoung however was more of a troublemaker. 

After Hongjoong saw the physicist hug San close to his side for the fourth time he spoke up, once again hanging in San's grip. PSH was in front of them, confidently leading the way.

"Say... Are you sure you're not dating?" Hongjoong swallowed nervously when he noticed the glint in Wooyoung's eyes, quickly concentrating on checking on the deep and black canyon underneath them.

It felt horrible to swim here, so vulnerable. Nobody knew what was down there and nobody wanted to know.

"We're not. Just very close. Why? Is it weird to you?" Wooyoung spoke in a fast and excited manner, his high voice cracking here and there. Hongjoong suspected that the man had been waiting for him to finally question their relationship.

"I was just... thinking. It's strange, a human and an android. They are... well not human, you know?"

"So what? They have feelings just like we do, they think and understand. They're not inanimate objects." Wooyoung received a nuzzle from San against his shoulder for his heroic words, making Hongjoong scoff dryly.

"I get that, sure. But that is how they are programmed. It's artificial. I'm no psychologist but knowing what's inside of them and what would be supposed to be inside a human from a biologist's view- isn't it creeping you out?" Hongjoong exchanged a glance with San who was pouting by now, giving him the kicked puppy eyes. Hongjoong glared at him until he looked away, hurt.

"Not at all. Rather, I think that them deciding within their consciousness that is copied to be human makes it easy to understand them. We did build them like humans so yeah, sure, why not treat them as such? Normally I don't cut up my lovers to see what's inside of them anyway. Isn't it about liking people either way?" Wooyoung grinned at him sunnily, making Hongjoong nod in agreement hesitantly. He did have a point there.

"I suppose. If it doesn’t bother you that there are hundreds of the exact same kind, as they are manufactured..."

"Yeah, but not all of them know me and not all of them have had the influence of the exact same surroundings San has. So what if on earth there is one or ten more CS 19? They are on earth, have their own friends and work. And Sannie is here. It's the same, you know? Liking one specific person. If you like somebody who has twin you’re not automatically attracted to their twin too, right? Because they are different even if they are born with the same face."

San quipped up next to Hongjoong, his eyes fixed on Wooyoung as if he was the most precious of gems.

"Marry me."

Wooyoung had to laugh, gently patting San's head as he had no means of getting his masked face too close. San had however, immediately attacking the human with kisses. Hongjoong grimaced, deciding that this was enough socializing for a day. He had to think that over. Sure, the twin thing was true. But those were still humans, too. 

With a quick shake of his head, he kicked his feet to catch up to PSH again, coming to swim peacefully by his side. He could think about that later when he didn’t have to watch out for leviathans.

Soon enough the island was basically right in front of them. Hongjoong observed it growing closer and bigger above the water surface. It looked positively tropical, with palm trees and colorful plants and birds all over it. It would get hot there. But Hongjoong would prefer land under his feet over water any day.

Weirdly enough however, the island was floating. 

It was neither connected to the ground, nor was it part of one of the cliffs around them. No, it was floating with only water underneath it. Even when they dipped down a little lower to check that out there was nothing but water.

"My scans detect huge and ancient Floaters underneath. They keep the whole island afloat,” Seonghwa murmured with awe as they pushed through the surface of the water, going for the last few meters.

Hongjoong wanted to comment on that, wanted to ask about why they hadn’t died and let the island sink when he suddenly felt something touch his foot. At first, it felt like nothing more than a brush of fabric, a fish maybe but the shape was odd. He wanted to ignore it, only reaching to brush it off, when it did not leave. Maybe some plant had gotten stuck to him?

Hongjoong just turned his head to look down when it fully wrapped around his ankle like a rope and pulled.


	12. The Floating Island

Hongjoong gave a surprised scream, quickly getting dragged deeper into the water. Blindly, he flailed around, not seeing much in the darkening waters. He was pawing for his knife, his desperate tries to kick off the thing not helping in the least. He could not even get a footing on it, slipping from the smooth surface several times.

He noticed PSH coming after him, diving quickly and fending another one of the creatures off at the same time. Hongjoong saw tentacles surrounding him, lots of them and his heart skipped a panicked beat. With the adrenaline rush setting in he ripped at the holster around his thigh again and finally managed to get the knife free.

Without even looking he stabbed it down to his foot, thankfully not getting himself hurt in the process. His left hand was still trying to push himself away from whatever pulled him through the water, but nothing helped. Only when he finally stabbed through the gooey mass and into soft flesh, the thing immediately retreated with an agitated hiss.

Hongjoong ripped his foot out of its grip to swim back toward the surface fast as he could, back up to PSH. The android had also managed to wrestle back the creature attacking him, kicking it off. For a moment the situation looked good, but then the thing turned, going for Hongjoong.

And it was fast, very fast.

Hongjoong yelled when he was suddenly hit by tentacles, something that felt horribly like human hands reaching for him too and trying to pull him deeper into the dark sea.

He struggled, he fought, all the time fearing his breathing mask would rip off but PSH soon came to his rescue. In a tangle of limbs, he crashed into the two creatures crowding Hongjoong, pulling at the pliable tentacles. It was a blur of green and gray and Hongjoong was quite sure to see San in the mix too. He lost all sense of orientation, literally just stabbing at everything that was close to him and cradling his breathing mask close.

When the two attackers finally fled it was only after they had managed to rip both San's and PSH's bundles from their backs. They disappeared in the depths with a light blue shimmer trailing after them from the glimmering bulbs on their many tentacles.

Hongjoong felt himself being grabbed by San and PSH respectively, both hurrying to get him out of there as fast as possible. Hongjoong still felt his heart racing, his fingers clutched around the bloody knife with fear. He was ready to stab anything and everything that got too close again.

But seriously, what the hell?

They broke the surface soon after, quickly swimming over to the island where Wooyoung already stood and waved at them with worried calls. Hongjoong finally put the knife away, roughly freeing himself from San's grip in the process. The android merely gave a confused whine before he let go, stomping back to Wooyoung.

And Hongjoong felt his shock bleed into a hot rage.

With water splashing up at his sides from his sudden movement he drove around to PSH, glaring at the man.

"Have you gone insane?! You just lost the rest of our rations! What are we supposed to do now if we happen to not find anything edible out here?!"

Why hadn’t he gone after them? That food was important to them, just like the medical kits and tools in there! Hongjoong took a breath to start ranting about those too. PSH's brows furrowed as he was yelled at, his hands hanging limply at his sides with his fingertips still in the water.

He waited, patient until Hongjoong had made his anger clear, only feeling himself get all the more agitated when the man didn’t respond. He had no business being so calm. Sure, the androids didn't eat, but he and Wooyoung certainly did!

"We still have fish to eat. There is plenty of material here to make a fire with," PSH responded smoothly. With a nonchalant swipe of his hand, he picked up a Peeper from next to him, dangling its wriggling form in front of Hongjoong's face.

Hongjoong slapped it away, stepping closer to hiss directly into PSH's face.

"Fish? Are you serious right now? Fucking useless protection unit, I would have managed by myself! That was so obviously a trap! Why do you think they didn’t hurt me?! Your one job was to take care of our things!"

"Are you telling me that my task of protecting you just failed? Because that is exactly what I did back there." His lips had turned downwards, one brow lifted in defiance. He looked entirely too human, again.

"You’re not protecting me, you’re creating more problems left and right! How are you planning to protect me from starvation now?! Where did your great sense of responsibility go?" Hongjoong stepped even closer, not caring about their obvious height difference. He barely stopped himself from grabbing the android by the collar and shaking him. Gods, he was burning with anger, all his stress coming together in a wave of hate directed at the android.

"I was merely trying to save your life. You could have died if not for the oxygen tank. I just-"

"Don't talk back to me! You have to just shut up and obey! Whenever you decided on something until now, it always meant more chaos! Gods, I wish you would've just stayed in that dark closet of yours and blown up with the Aurora!"

 _Whack_.

Hongjoong blinked, not understanding what had just happened for a moment. His anger was still burning his veins. It made him want to hit something, scream it all out but now, suddenly everything froze.

Something sticky was on his face.

Hongjoong reached up to touch it, grimacing at the slippery feel.

Was he just... hit?

He looked down, slowly, to the Peeper in PSH's hand. Its left eye had exploded at the impact, leaving an ugly stain of yellow on the now-dead fish. Its lifeless grey body was dangling from PSH's hand.

Hongjoong lifted his eyes to the android again in sheer disbelief.

"Did you just hit me with a damn fish?" He spoke quietly, his surprise blending into sheer shock and even into hurt. Why even was he hurt for being hit by a stupid android?

PSH's chest was heaving, his face contorted into an angry grimace. He looked positively murderous and Hongjoong immediately took a small step back. He did respect the wrath of the androids, especially if they were malfunctioning. He was just lifting his hands defensively, looking to order PSH to calm down, when the robot moved again.

In a weak movement, he threw the fish against Hongjoong's chest. It slapped down there wetly, sliding into the water as none of them moved to retrieve it. PSH's whisper was deathly and cold, complete ignorance having taken over.

"Fucking go die then. I don't care anymore." And with that, he turned, his face a stony mask as he walked back into the water. Hongjoong just stood there dumbly, not moving to stop him.

Wooyoung must have left too for he didn't call out to PSH either, so nobody cared as the android disappeared between the waves. It was as if he had never been there to begin with, the water swallowing him smoothly.

Hongjoong was frozen with shock for another second. He had no idea what had just happened, could not even remember what exactly he had said for the man to leave now that his anger was simmering down.

However, after the rage, spite came.

"Okay! Fuck off then! Don't come back! Useless tin can!", he screamed as loud as he could, turning on his heel then to go back to the beach. On the way he wiped the goo on his face off, spitting the bits on his lips out in disgust.

What an idiot. Playing important when he was just one of many. But what was even worse was that he was bad at his job. Hongjoong had had enough of him.

With big angry steps, he crossed the warm sand under his feet, looking around for Wooyoung. He was blind to the tall and exotic plants around him. There were foreign animals here, smells that tried to seduce him into stepping closer to the fruits hanging on the lavish trees, and little chirps and hums here and there that would have normally spiked his interest.

Right now, he didn’t care. Hongjoong was busy cursing the disloyal android under his breath. He sure as hell hoped he would not return, that annoying tin can.

He eventually found the two other members of his group close to some the trees. Wooyoung had settled in the grass comfortably, smiling at San who had crouched down next to him and was currently checking the fruit.

When Wooyoung noticed Hongjoong stomping down the path down the hill with ragged breaths and blazing eyes, his own eyes flickered uncertainly, searching for PSH.

Hongjoong dropped down next to them with a huff, receiving fruit from San after he had deemed them safe.

Finally, a robot who could just shut up and do his job.

"Where is Seonghwa?", Wooyoung asked carefully, discreetly glancing around while Hongjoong angrily dug his teeth into the lantern-shaped thing. It tasted alright, a bit watery perhaps and not as sweet as he would have expected. It was good.

"Ran away. The coward ditched us in favor of playing with the fish," Hongjoong grit out, sweet juice dribbling down his chin. He didn't care enough to wipe it off. He sure bet PSH and his stupid sense of care would do it for him.

With a bitter smirk, he ate even more messily, getting fruit juice all over himself until he was practically inhaling the fruit. Wooyoung watched him with troubled eyes.

"Hongjoong... I get that you're angry at him. But please try to think rationally here. Is it really wise to send those away who help us on this foreign planet? Shouldn't you talk to him? He understands you, you know? You can work something out."

"Are you telling me to apologize to a fucking piece of metal scrap?" Maybe Hongjoong should stop growling at everyone. However, all the stress of the week here was starting to get to him. Even the little voice in the back of his head that told him he was making a mistake couldn’t stop him.

He swallowed the last bite, grimacing at the way his fingers stuck to each other now.

"Stop doing that. You know that he is more than that. Why do you keep-"

Hongjoong rose brusquely, not caring about the way his sudden movement knocked his knee against San's shoulder, making the man tumble over with a yelp. He started wandering off, further up the cliffs that led away from the ocean. If he was lucky some Reaper Leviathan would have already eaten PSH by now and ended his useless rambling,

Hongjoong gave a humorless chuckle, walking off into the sunset while Wooyoung was yelling after him with his high-pitched voice.

"He saved your life, you know?! Multiple times!"

"He's build to do that!"

"So what?! Would you kick your dog for protecting your life?!"

"Dogs have hearts and feelings and such!"

"Do you think he slapped you because he is so indifferent to you?! Open your goddamn eyes, did you not see him with Yongguk?!"

Hongjoong was nearly out of earshot when San spoke up, pressingly addressing Hongjoong for the first time ever since they had met. He’d just ruined his image of being a well-behaved android.

"Leave and only come back after you've understood what I feel for Wooyoung. Or how Seonghwa kept taking care of you. Or how he and Yongguk looked at each other. I hate you so much for everything you’re saying right now, Kim Hongjoong. And boy, is that emotion real. Go and pretend Seonghwa is human for once. See where it leads you."

He said it dangerously, without the usual softness and timidness he showed around Wooyoung and it made Hongjoong shiver as he walked deeper into the woods that began to glow with the night settling over them.

He needed time to cool off. And he needed that time alone before he went crazy with them.

They were on an island, after all, he could always join them later on.


	13. A Day of Redemption

It has been hours since Hongjoong had started lividly stomping through the lush forest. One time he had to sit down and massage his feet for a bit where those vicious tentacles had left red marks on his skin. It looked exactly like the suction cups from any other animal would look like, and his flesh ached a bit from it. He was sure he was not hurt too badly, however. He wanted to know what the hell those fish needed their precious rations and tools for. Depending on their situation here, they might even need to get them back. While they had not been that big, only about 5 meters or something with tentacles, he was not that keen on having a similar encounter like Wooyoung had with the Reaper.

Thus, Hongjoong took some internal notes about the plants and smaller animals that crossed his way. If they wanted to put a base indeed here, he would need to know of any potential dangers around them. Something like that water incident should not happen again.

Sweat was trickling down his back, and he had pulled the upper half of his dive suit down until his hips by the time he had scaled another steep hill on the island, peeking over the edge. He needed a better view of the island, and walking up here made his anger simmer down, his interest distracting him. 

But where he expected trees and tall plants, he found something entirely different.

Hongjoong halted in the middle of wiping his sweat off his brow to stare down at the round metal compartments beneath him.

He could count three parts that were connected by thin corridors. The whole thing was weathered down by rust and had taken on an unsightly gray-reddish color. From his current spot, Hongjoong could not see much inside, but he sure as hell was certain that this had been build by humans.

And damn, if that wasn't great news.

Hongjoong carefully leaned his body further over the edge, getting a glimpse of some broken windows and ripped open metal walls. It looked brutal, but at the same time, part of one compartment was also covered by the earth of the mountain. The terrain looked as if it had slid down from the mountain, burying the base underneath. The damage on the metal could mean anything.

They had to take advantage of that.

Hongjoong quickly turned, moving to excitedly speak to PSH at his side. It was only when he looked down at his lonely shoulder that reality caught up with him again.

PSH was gone. He had sent him away.

Hongjoong bit his lip, stopping the unnecessary words from escaping his lips. He didn't need that annoying tin can anyway. He would just go and explore by himself, and if the others came by, he would wait for them full of triumph.

He started on him descend slowly, climbing the hill down with great care of his body. No need to lure predators in with the smell of his blood. Some clumps of earth stuck to him when he arrived at the bottom, and he brushed them off his chest distractedly. His focus was already on the old base again. To his right, there were some gardens, small patches of self-grown vegetables, or something. They were not kept well and overgrown with weeds, but it was so clearly human that Hongjoong could not help the hysterical laugh that broke out of his chest. 

Here, of all places, on this goddamn planet, he had found something like this.

With his disbelieving grin etched onto his face like a grimace, Hongjoong stepped inside of the base through one of the holes in the wall. He kept his knife close by his side, watching some suspicious crab-looking things that kept running towards him only to back off at the sight of his knife. They seemed aggressive, and yes, maybe a comment from PSH about that might have been helpful, but Hongjoong was too proud to admit that.

Instead, he looked around inside of the run-down base. The vegetation had found its way inside with time. It showed in different kinds of plants covering the walls and the insides of some cupboards. There was nothing of worth from whoever space travelers that had been here before them. However, Hongjoong saw this as the perfect start for something new. They could tell Yongguk to send a signal out to make this spot their meeting pace and set everything up here. They could start on plans on their escape from this wet planet and take care of any survivors that arrived here over time. 

It was the perfect plan with only one major hole in it.

PSH had lost their fucking equipment.

Abruptly Hongjoong halted in his tour, his lips pulling into a thin line. However, this time when he felt his rage hotly collect in his belly, he hesitated. 

Wooyoung was right. It had been a mistake to send away one of the people helping them even if he was annoying as hell. At the end of the day, anybody at their side was of help. 

So Hongjoong merely sank back against a wall, feeling the cold metal and soft leaves press against the naked skin of his back. He breathed deeply, calming his body down.

San feeling for Wooyoung. PSH looking out for them. The gazes he had shared with Yongguk.

And Hongjoong did what he had been advised. He imagined PSH as a human for once and tried to put himself in his role.

Fine, yes, PSH's emotions were not that much over the place because they were controlled by his database. So at least he did not have to deal with as much stress as Hongjoong did. But Hongjoong felt his body rapidly cool down with more and more dread when he imagined the rest of it.

He barely knew anything about the android. He was not usually around people, instead spending his time locked away in the dark walls of the Aurora. He was awake at all times, hearing people walk around and laugh outside, but he was not allowed to join them.

The only person he obviously knew was Yongguk. And, of course, he was attached to the captain seeing as he was his single spokesperson. Maybe even a friend he had grown to worship?

Anyway, PSH was out on a mission for the first time in many years, probably, and he was programmed to help Hongjoong as the person he had been newly designated to. Meaning he was bound to him to a certain degree. He had to take anything that Hongjoong threw at him, and looking back, that was... Not many good things. Especially regarding the fact that PSh was only here with them because Hongjoong had been too stubborn to stay in his lab.

Hongjoong bit his lip, sliding down on a chair when he felt his ankle starting to protest again. 

This was what San had been talking about. Wooyoung only ever treated him with respect and got the same treatment back.

If the roles had been reversed, if Hongjoong had been the human having to work for a tyrannic android, then he would have snapped too. Even if that would count to being weak and showing actual emotions. 

What San had tried to tell him was how androids had emotions too. Even if their receptors might be artificial, they did feel them just like any human would because that was precisely the thing that had been creeping out Hongjoong all this time. Their eerie humanity. And at the same time, he had not managed to treat PSH as a human.

With a curse on his lips, Hongjoong buried his face in his hands, looking down at the ground when his stomach twisted with guilt. He felt like crying. The whole load on his shoulders of surviving on this planet and his circumstances weighed on him heavily already. However, now he also felt remorseful towards the android whose defense had been entirely rightful.

Hongjoong had deserved that slap.

"I'm such an idiot," he mumbled to himself, repeatedly mussing his hair up when he pushed all ten of his fingers through it. He must have looked like a wreck with his pale face, every ounce of stress showing.

But it was not the time to break and cry.

He had to apologize, and he needed to work on that mindset of his. PSH was stranded here too, and just like Hongjoong tried to order him around to make his stay more comfortable, he in that role would need that consideration also. 

He had managed to treat KYS as a coworker forever, only meeting and discussing for work. But now, this was life. And if Hongjoong wanted to be treated with respect, he needed to show the same respect to his colleagues. Even if they were androids, that slap, PSH snapping, it meant he did feel treated unjustly. 

Gods, he was so stupid. What was he thinking to vent all his anger about their situation on the man? He had done nothing to deserve that. 

"I'm sorry, PSH."

It sounded weird on his tongue, much too stiff and forced. Which it was, he could not change his opinion just like that! Treat PSH as a human. He'd just treat him like a human and wonder about any robot dynamics later. Even if he loathed the thought; if it had been only for the humans that had crashed here, they would have probably died long ago already.

So treat him as a much more efficient robot anyway?

Hongjoong quickly shook his head, trying to clear its fogginess up. He needed to concentrate no matter how his insides felt all weird.

"I'm sorry, Seonghwa."

That was much better. Hongjoong could show his care like that, yes. PSH would surely forgive him for that, right? If he was programmed to help people... No, he was allowed to refuse. He was allowed to leave and never come back again. Because he was no stupid servant. Because he was a thinking and feeling person.

Hongjoong gave a heavy sigh, leaning back to emptily stare at the base. It was getting dark out, the last rays of the sun casting orange lines against the dirty walls.

He needed to go back. He was part of the team now, and he would play his role actively and independently. Find PSH and apologize, then show them this base and then work together with them to set up their new quarters.

Hongjoong sniffled, his head hurting with how much his guilt plagued him by now.

PSH had slapped him. He had hit him even though he was programmed not to do that. How horrible must he have felt? How dare Hongjoong push his boundaries like that? 

Hongjoong rose with a groan, making his way back out where he had to kick a curious crab off that tried to eat his leg. At least those were small and harmless.

Hongjoong tried to think about what he would have done had he been the one to play the role of the mindless servant. He figured he would have slapped his tyrant much sooner, and the thought made him wince. PSH had put up with so much because of him.

They needed to talk it out rationally and without getting swamped by emotions. 

The thought of it nearly made Hongjoong panic all over again. What if he made another mistake? He was walking on eggshells for now, and if PSH decided he didn't even want to talk to him again, what was he supposed to do? How could he calm down an angry android?

He was gnawing on his lower lip as he scaled the hill again, the sun slowly disappearing in the ocean behind him. 

What if PSH had not even come back in the first place? Maybe he had already decided he had enough of Hongjoong.

But Hongjoong would find him then. He would find him and apologize. For the sake of their team and their survival.


	14. Apologies

PSH, no, Seonghwa had already come back when Hongjoong rejoiced forces with the group. They had put up a little campfire at the beach and were grilling fish over it, chatting away comfortably. When Hongjoong first laid eyes upon the tranquil sight he faltered in his steps.

They looked peaceful like that. For once there was no fighting going on. Wooyoung sat in their middle, joking about something and then cackling gleefully while San looked at him with starstruck eyes. Seonghwa merely watched them with a little smile on his lips, basking in the mood.

They didn't need Hongjoong to mess things up again. They were fine.

For a long moment, he stood there, pondering whether he should go back or just let it go and search for his own niche to survive in. They were a good team. He was the one constantly ripping it apart.

Gods, why had he been so blatantly stupid?

Hongjoong's head hurt so much, yelling at him not to hesitate and just go over already. However, his heart that was still weak with guilt and apprehension kept him from it. He decided quickly.

Hongjoong was just turning on his heel to disappear in the forest again, when a voice called out for him, the relief apparent in their tone. Freezing, he looked over his shoulder, having been caught in the act.

Wooyoung cheerfully waved his hand at him and Hongjoong felt as if hit with a brick.

What the hell had he been doing? 

"Come here already! Stop looming in the shadows!"

Hongjoong quickly mustered the group, finding no hate on neither San's nor Seonghwa's faces. They seemed carefully neutral, their expressions schooled in blank masks. He had clearly upset them.

Wooyoung, however, was grinning brightly, holding his body upright where he was kneeling next to San. He beckoned Hongjoong closer with his hand again, making the scientist sigh inwardly.

Way to make him feel even worse.

With slow steps he went closer again, stepping into the circle of light around them. He avoided Seonghwa's eyes for now, but he did throw an apologetic glance at San's face. San seemed content with that, snuggling up to Wooyoung again. Wooyoung excitedly motioned Hongjoong to sit down next to Seonghwa and he did with a frosty distance between them.

"Seonghwa is back! And he came with good news!"

Hongjoong curiously glanced at the said man, looking at him for what felt like the first time.

So far, he had only ever noticed Seonghwa's eyes. Now, when he focused on his whole face it seemed like looking at a completely new person. Hongjoong had been aware that Seonghwa was, objectively seen, attractive. Any android built fulfilled that request. However, as they were not all the same, they still looked different. 

Hongjoong glanced in between Seonghwa and San, comparing their unique features with each other. They looked very human, with little differences and imperfections that made it easier to look at them as humans naturally.

Seonghwa's nose, for example, was longer and more straight than San's was. Seonghwa also had rounder eyes while San's were slanted and sharp like those of a fox. Seonghwa's lips were naturally fuller but seeing as San was speaking while pouting all the time he made up for that also. 

There was also something else. San was sitting too far from Hongjoong for him to see clearly, but he could see a little mole on the base of Seonghwa's neck, nestled right between his collarbones.

They even had moles.

Inside of Hongjoong, everything screamed at him to be weirded out by this, to question the idea behind having to build them that human-like. But again, he called himself out. He would stop with those thoughts. Seonghwa's appearance did not matter right now, in their situation. Whether he was made of metal or flesh was a detail to discuss another time.

Right now, it was only important how he thought and felt. And that, he did like a human.

Hongjoong nodded to himself, feeling proud of finding the errors in his train of thought and then focused back on Seonghwa.

The man was looking at him with those clear blue eyes of his.

"Huh?"

"You did not listen to a word we just told you, right?" Wooyoung started to giggle opposite of Hongjoong, throwing himself against San's strong shoulder in glee.

Hongjoong blushed, denying how his thoughts already strayed again to go compare the difference of their bodies with each other. 

"Will you listen? If you do not wish to hear my voice, Wooyoung can also explain." Seonghwa spoke quietly and carefully as if approaching a wild animal and Hongjoong winced, motioning him to go on.

"I received a message from Yongguk at noon. I will replay to you. _This is Jackson Wang of trading ship Sunbeam. Aurora, do you read? Over.  
Still nothing. These Alterra ships. They run out of engine grease, they send an SOS; you offer to help, they don't pick up.   
Aurora, we're out on the far side of the system, it's going to take more than a week to reach your position, do you still need our assistance? Over.   
I'll try them again tomorrow. See what the long-range scanner picks up in the meantime. Damn charter's going to have us wasting our profit margin running errands for Alterra." _

Hongjoong held his breath, replaying the message again and again in his head. There were ships out searching for them. Yongguk had managed to get through. They could be saved in a week.

A week.

"He also said he has trouble sending an answer signal. He suspects some systems are not functioning correctly but he is on it with repairing them. At least we now know that his signal reaches us," Seonghwa added gracefully, receiving a little applause from San. 

Hongjoong felt his heart jump happily in his chest, new hope blossoming in his limbs. They could do it. This would work, they would go home soon.

"Thank you," he quietly murmured towards Seonghwa, not keeping his remorse out of his voice. The android's eyes widened only slightly, then he nodded professionally, not letting it get to him.

"There's more. While I was diving deeper I also managed to get another call from Jongho. However, I did not find any caves in this area. His message: _This is an automated distress signal from Lifepod 12, co-ordinates attached.  
Warning: Lifepod has sunk beyond safe diving distance. Do not attempt retrieval without submersible support. _I did not hear Jongho directly, but I did receive the co-ordinates of his Lifepod. His current location is -705 -760 -26."

Hongjoong agreed with an appreciative hum, feeling fresh tears well up in his eyes when again, Seonghwa merely did his best. Hongjoong would not even have fucking known that Jongho was alive without the man and he was ready to willingly throw his body into the waiting jaws of a Reaper by now.

As soon as the message caught up with him he froze again, though.

"Wait, what? He is seven hundred meters down there? How did that happen?" He would have guessed that their life pod sunk due to some error just how San and Wooyoung's did. Of course, they could have gotten stuck in a cave then. But seven hundred meters? That seemed very ambiguous. Hongjoong was positive that he could not dive that far.

"We have no way of knowing what happened, but we can set on out searching him starting tomorrow. I can reinforce your diving suit overnight."

Hongjoong stared at Seonghwa and then he stared a bit more. It was hard to tell whether he was just plain blind all this time or if the android had just started to be a great help after having Hongjoong yell at him but anyway, he appreciated the support greatly.

Wooyoung interrupted the little moment Hongjoong was having, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"Because guess what? Hwa spent the day getting back the equipment we lost."

Hongjoong felt like vomiting. 

Indeed he could see it now, the two bags that were laid down in the sand behind Wooyoung and San. They were in a safe distance from the water and both duffles still wet but unspoiled.

For a second, Hongjoong just breathed deeply, willing his gradually freezing body to calm down before he turned towards Seonghwa again, glimpsing at his profile. The man had lowered his eyes as if he was sorry himself, his long lashes shadowing his cheeks.

"H-Hey. Can we talk? In private?" Hongjoong didn't even try to play it down how his voice cracked. Seonghwa nodded silently and without looking at him, moving to stand up then. Hongjoong also stumbled to his feet, quickly dusting his butt off, before he followed Seonghwa further up the beach and to the tree line where they could talk in peace. They could still see Wooyoung cuddling up to San from here but were far out of the shine of the fire. 

Here, only the two moons and the many stars paired with some glowing plants illuminated them. 

Hongjoong lowered his head. He pondered getting on his knees right away, not trusting his legs to hold him up anyway. Before he could even start to apologize though, Seonghwa spoke.

"I'm sorry. I abused my position earlier when I hit you. I should not have reacted like that." His words hit Hongjoong like a rush of cold water in his face, numbing his limbs. He barely managed to mumble a soft no. "By running off I also neglected my purpose here. I am ready to face any consequences you wish to put upon me."

Hongjoong lifted his hands, slowly, but he could not bring himself to reach out to the man, dropping them again instead.

"No no no. You have nothing to apologize for, Seonghwa. You- Come on, let's sit down here." Hongjoong carefully sat down, watching Seonghwa do the same. Hongjoong only now noticed the deep gash in his left shoulder that had been turned away from him the entire time. His suit had been ripped open together with his skin, making silvery metal shimmer through.

"You're hurt."

"I have no pain receptors. I am fine. I will make sure to clean up my appearance later as to not inconvenience you."

Hongjoong felt sicker and sicker, every word the android spoke so carefully slapping him in the face. He swallowed around the foul taste in his mouth, breathing in deeply.

"Please stop it. I- I know I made a mistake. Or ten. I know it and I- I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Seonghwa. What I put you through- What I expected and called you out for... I know there is no actual excuse because I was being kind of an asshole, but-"

"Yeah, you were."

Hongjoong gave him a weak glare, not serious. Seonghwa's lips twitched into a smile.

"I can only put the blame on me being stressed the hell out about this whole situation. However, I noticed what my mistake was and I'm willing to try again. I don't want to be that asshole anymore..." His voice got lost in a whisper that disappeared into the warm night fleetingly. Hongjoong cleared his throat.

Seonghwa was still patiently looking at him, his face even.

"You can hate me all you want. I won't try to suppress your feelings anymore and pretend I don't care about them. Your opinion is important and I by now understand that you are an important factor for this team. I might not be at ease with you for another long time but I'll try my best to make this as easy as possible. So please forgive me."

Hongjoong could not even fathom the loyalty of this man. This man, that had no deeper connection to Hongjoong and had literally been assigned on the spot to help him. And who still came back, was still helpful and humble even after all that Hongjoong had put him through.

"I will not hate you. Hate is such a strong emotion. I will forgive you simply because I am built like that. I do want you to accept my opinions though, now, that you saw your mistake. Is that possible for you?"

Hongjoong nodded, maybe a tad too quickly. 

"Yeah, sure. If I can help you somehow with your injury, tell me. And also thank you so much for going through all that trouble today." It was sincere. Even if Hongjoong would still struggle with androids, his current gratitude was earnest.

Seonghwa gave a little smile, standing up before pulling Hongjoong to his feet too.

"You are welcome. I wanted to ditch you for a week to make you wait and see but I figured that would be too cruel after I received both of those messages."

Hongjoong returned his smile a bit wobbly. Maybe Seonghwa wouldn't notice the mess of his stats right now.

"Yeah. Thank you for that."


	15. Tentacles

After bringing their tools into the base that Hongjoong had found, the two humans had immediately gone to rest. They were tired from the long day and left Seonghwa and San to do the rest of the work. When Hongjoong awoke the next morning, he found his diving suit neatly folded next to the corner he was resting in and Wooyoung was already gone.

Seonghwa was still around and busy with repairing a window right now with some heating tool. He neatly put all the shards together bit by bit and molded them into their original form. When Hongjoong lifted his head groggily, the android cast a glance at him, chuckling about his wild hair that was slowly starting to hate the saltwater around him at all the times.

"Good morning. You slept for 8 hours and 54 minutes. Your body currently feels weak as it is missing some nutrients, but apart from that you are healthy enough for our long dive today.", Seonghwa immediately supplied, and Hongjoong merely groaned, burying his face in his arms again.

He would still have to get used to those comments. Even then, the smug undertone in Seonghwa's voice told him the android knew precisely what he was doing.

"Yeah, time for some good old fish.", Hongjoong sighed into his skin, grimacing when he noticed its sweaty odor. To another person, he probably smelled like rotting fish.

"Do not worry about your smell. By now, any leviathan should be tricked into thinking you are no pray for them anymore. If we color your hair green, you will pass as any seaweed."

Hongjoong whined, getting up with a pout that he immediately directed at Seonghwa.

"You're getting your revenge, huh?"

Seonghwa gave a dry smile, the right corner of his lips pulling up further than the left. His smirk was crooked, and Hongjoong decided that it fit his bold appearance.

"I am. Tell me if I go too far."

Hongjoong started stuffing his naked body into his suit, barely mad at him. If Seonghwa had put up with so much for him, Hongjoong could do the same for the android too. So he lazily waved it off, struggling to put the zipper on the back of his suit up. His left shoulder hurt a bit because he had been laying on it uncomfortably, and now it protested against his movements, not helping him in the least.

He gave an exasperated huff.

"Did you damage the zipper while working on this? I can't-"

Seonghwa put the shards down, stepping behind him with curious eyes. Hongjoong forced himself not to shudder when the man's fingers touched his naked back. His skin was not exactly cold, but the odd lukewarm skin brushing his spine when the man reached for the zipper felt all wrong.

"Hmm, I seem to have miscalculated the width of your shoulders. Just a moment." He spoke in a low and pleasant voice, his fingers gentle as they pulled on the fabric.

Hongjoong waited, nervously playing with his fingers. He knew the man to be careful at all times, but he could not his skin from getting covered with goosebumps whenever Seonghwa touched him. He suppressed the worst shivers by rubbing his arms absent-mindedly, trying to ignore his discomfort.

Treat him as a human, even if he didn't feel like one.

Thankfully, Seonghwa was done soon and slid the zipper up to Hongjoong's nape. He also tentatively fastened the hook around his neck, immediately getting his hands off after.

"All done. The material should resist some attacks, and the pressure the depths will put on your body. I also started crafting another one so we can bring it for Jongho."

Hongjoong turned towards the door - since when had there been a door? - and stepped out into the warm grass. Seonghwa followed closely behind, pulling the door shut behind them. It was only after they had climbed the hill that Hongjoong remembered to thank him. Seonghwa merely gave him an appreciative smile.

"So... Are we going to try to retrieve Jongho today?" Hongjoong struck up small talk just a bit awkwardly, not used to it. He wanted to try and get used to Seonghwa, though, and also look at him more.

"I doubt that we will be able to find the entrance to the cave systems today. While I have his coordinates, of course, I am not able to foresee the route we have to take to get to him. Rather, I dare to recommend that we only try to find the entrance to the cave today and actually explore it later." His choice of words was still monotone, still sounded as dull as it could get, but his voice was warm, not as chilly as it had been before. He seemed friendly.

Hongjoong was glad. While he did not deserve the continuous support and easiness that Seonghwa met him with, he could only imagine what would have happened if Seonghwa wouldn't have forgiven him.

They would probably be slapping each other with fish by now again.

"Sounds good. Woosan?" He came up with that name in the evening before falling asleep and while watching Wooyoung ramble while dozing halfway. He could memorize it easily.

Seonghwa gave a hum, nodding his chin out to the beach further down the cliff they were currently walking on. There were some trails here - possibly even made by humans now that Hongjoong thought about it - and they conveniently led over the island. Hongjoong had yet to find a way to comfortably go down to their new base though.

When Hongjoong blinked again the harsh light of the sun he could indeed find Woosan at the beach, playing like little children with each other. San was currently running away from Wooyoung shrieking while the man chased him with a handful of sand, ready to put it into the other man's white suit. Hongjoong could not keep the fond smile off his face.

They were doing their hardest to be happy in their environment. Maybe he could learn something still if he kept watching them.

Seonghwa led the way, occasionally holding low hanging branches and emerald green leaves out of the way for Hongjoong, and Hongjoong again couldn't help but notice his chivalry. Maybe the man had some good features indeed.

When they finally set their feet down onto the bright sand that shimmered like molten stardust in the morning sun, Woosan had quietened down suspiciously. Hongjoong narrowed his eyes, searching the glimmering and glinting water surface for them.

It looked so peaceful like this. So serene. There was no hint of the dangers lurking in those deep waters except for the Aurora in the distance. The ship was finally stopping to burn at least, laying like a stranded monster in the distance.

Hongjoong finally found Woosan behind some dark rocks. From here, he could only see their heads poking out behind it, and by the looks of it, San was either kneeling or laying above Wooyoung by now. He dipped down in the next moment, brushing his lips sweetly against those of the human to lock them in a passionate kiss that made Hongjoong's cheeks heat up.

"Oh..." He quickly turned his gaze away, looking back out over the ocean. He tried to pretend not to notice Seonghwa's curious eyes on his face.

"What is it? Do human displays of affection disgust you? Or is it the publicity of it?" The android asked, anyway.

Hongjoong risked another curious glance over, seeing how San had by now settled on his elbows above Wooyoung. His hands were playing in the man's dark hair while he kissed Wooyoung in a way that was far too intense for the usual robot techniques.

"No, I-..." He fell silent again, not finding any argument on why their behavior should be unusual. It came to no surprise that they were moving forward in their relationship. His only concern was still the difference in their races. But as he was trying to put these aside right now, he didn't have any bother at all.

"San has the ability to differentiate between a kiss out of passion and one to share information. If you fear for San not reciprocating his feelings, I can assure you that he very much does."

"Are androids able to love?" Hongjoong wondered more towards himself, but Seonghwa picked up on it anyway, directing his motherly gaze at the two lovebirds again. They had stopped kissing by now, Wooyoung merely giggling with glee under his lover. San's eyes showed the exact kind of adoration Hongjoong would expect from a human, so he relaxed further, not needing an answer to that question.

Apparently, they were.

"Come on, guys! We're getting rusty here while you're busy sucking faces!" Hongjoong called out to them sternly but still with regrets for having to ruin their moment. Wooyoung childishly stuck his tongue out at Hongjoong while San merely gave a glare that was about as terrifying as a rabbit.

Hongjoong sure missed rabbits.

He didn't wait, instead stepping into the water and flopping down into the warm wetness. He adjusted his equipment like an expert, diving down then. Seonghwa was right behind him, scanning the area already.

"Those things, the ones that attacked us, did you manage to get a scan of them?"

"I did. However, it appears as if my databases are quite confused with them. I only came up with an error message."

How odd. Sure, there were fishes that they saw more often down here. The Bladderfish, for example, or the Peepers. Maybe they belonged to the rare species as the leviathans did? Hongjoong's inner biologist needed to find out.

"We might reencounter them today, though. My scans pick up their hideout beneath the island so they might not be far," Seonghwa added cautiously, and with a curse, Hongjoong pulled his knees a bit further up to his body, protective. He did not want to get dragged again, especially by some weird tentacle thingys that Seonghwa could not scan.

"Got it. Tell me if they are near."

"Affirmative."

They dipped deeper then, passing some impressive arches that the rocks made. However, no cave here.

"I also scanned another leviathan lifeform in these waters. A new one." Seonghwa said it casually as if they were talking about the weather. Hongjoong turned with a groan, his eyebrows forming a desperate line.

"Please tell me those are slower than what Wooyoung told us about the Reapers."

Seonghwa chuckled, signaling Wooyoung und San to come to join them when they finally entered the water.

"No. It's also not those Anchor Pods you keep eyeing. Those are decoration only."

Hongjoong ripped his eyes away from the odd floating balls that glowed a bright blue, caught in the act. They were everywhere the deeper they got and seemed to be floating; their round forms only held by some rope-like vines.

"The Sea Trader Leviathans - you will recognize them due to their three legs - are completely harmless as long as you do not get too close. They merely roam the sand at the bottom. Harmless leviathans that do not even swim."

That sounded suspiciously peaceful indeed. Why did they classify as leviathans then? Their size?

Hongjoong tied not to think too hard about it, nodding instead.

"Cool. I mean- no leviathan class creature is truly cool but good to know that not all of them will try to kill us upon sight." Optimism was the key.

"Here, they come. To your left."

Hongjoong quickly turned his head, catching sight of the creatures they had encountered before. Just like a squid would, they pushed their bodies forward through powerful thrusts of their tentacles. There were too many tentacles to count, but oddly enough, their upper halves looked nearly human. Even when covered by shimmering green scales, their build was faintly human, and they also had human heads and arms.

Well, and glowing orange eyes.

Anyway, they were getting closer quickly, and Hongjoong was already pulling out his knife to wrestle those two particular specimens down already. When Seonghwa moved in his way, however, he hesitated.

"Give me a moment, my scans-"

They waited, the two attackers getting closer with that breakneck speed of theirs. San and Wooyoung joined their group faster, though, creating a little defensive circle with the two androids in front.

"San. What do your scans say?" Seonghwa's voice sounded tense, and Hongjoong immediately looked around even more carefully.

"I'm confused... My scans read them as... human? I must malfunction."

"You do not. I received the same results."


	16. Bacteria

Against Hongjoong's expectations that the two odd creatures would attack them on sight, they remained fairly peaceful. They slowed down considerably when they recognized their group, attentively looking over. While Hongjoong naturally couldn't be sure if those were the same two as the last time, he believed to see something akin to respect cross their features.

Were they intelligent? Would making peace be possible?

"PS- Ah, Seonghwa. Are you sure? Humans?" Hongjoong felt stupid asking again when he knew exactly well that Seonghwa's scans could never be wrong. Still, he didn't trust that judgment by the mere looks of these creatures alone.

They did have some human features, but they were far from what Hongjoong would call a human. But then again, he was a human himself and also a biologist.

"I am positive. They appear to have grown curious of us too." Seonghwa hadn't taken his eyes off the two strangers, watching their every move. Hongjoong shivered at the way both of them had tilted their heads questioningly, staring at them as if they were creatures in a zoo.

San spoke up first.

"Hey, can you understand us? Do you speak any language that is known to the federal republic?" He carefully called out with a strong and steady voice. He was holding Wooyoung's hand that had settled on his waist and suspiciously squinted his eyes against the clear water.

A long second passed in which both parties merely stared at each other in a standoff. The left one spoke first then.

"We do. Did you arrive with that Alterran ship that crashed in the Dunes?"

Hongjoong gave a little startled jolt when it spoke, the voice bone-chillingly human. It sounded male, his voice surprisingly clear regarding his fangs and the fucking gills on his neck. When Hongjoong noticed that he had reached out for Seonghwa's tensed waist instinctively, he pulled back hastily. Nobody saw that.

"Yes. Do you have any sort of identification?" San worded it as sensitive as possible, trying not to sound too curious. His body was still curled in a defensive position, ready to fight or flee at any time.

The two observed their group curiously, their tentacles idly swishing underneath them. They evaded the question, just as doubtful.

"Are you human? What are you?"

Hongjoong blanched at the question, exchanging a worried glance with Wooyoung. The man had wide eyes, his expression insecure.

"Those two are humans. We are AI, artificially build humans." San gestured between himself and Seonghwa.

The one that had been speaking to them nodded thoughtfully, mumbling something to his friend while laying his hand over his shoulder. Hongjoong understood. They had been confused about why they had seen metal instead of blood when hurting Seonghwa.

Hongjoong nervously clenched his hands together, counting tentacles while he was at it.

Both of them had seven of them. The one in the middle was the longest, and the other six surrounded it. If he had to guess roughly, both of them were about two and a half meters in length, but their upper build was not much larger than any human would be. They would be tall indeed, had they been humans, but like this, their tentacles elongated their standard forms.

"We are humans too."

Hongjoong could not keep himself from lifting a disbelieving brow, making the quiet one of the two grin at him. He bared his sharp teeth in a horrifying smile, his completely filled-out orange eyes shifting into slits.

"Or rather we were. Before the planet got us. We don't look much like it anymore."

Before... the planet got them.

Hongjoong's mind was racing with thoughts. They were once human, that meant they too came from somewhere around Earth. Where was their ship? How did they survive that long? What did they imply with the planet getting them?

"When did you come here?" This time it was Seonghwa who spoke up, and the two men turned to him inquisitively. For a second, they exchanged a glance, the more silent one shrugging. He was still looking at Hongjoong intently, not having gotten his eyes off ever since earlier.

"It's been some time... Some years I'd say."

And they had not been saved. They must have been forgotten during those years. And by now, they were nearly part of this planet's ecosystem.

"You're saying you were once human. I take it it's your base we found up there?"

"Yes... After the sickness got worse, we were forced to move into the water. That's why we live beneath the island now." He sounded as if lost in deep melancholy, as if the memory of walking on land and breathing actual air was long distant. Hongjoong shuddered, trying not to imagine too hard what had happened to them.

"What has gotten you sick? Were you poisoned or bitten by something?" Seonghwa sounded strained but his body had relaxed a bit. He seemed to feel empathetic towards the two lost men.

"We don't know. It came with time. We didn't notice much of it at first. It started with some odd spots, something we brushed off easily. It became a problem when we lost our legs."

Everything inside of Hongjoong curled up with fear at those words. He instinctively moved back a bit, brushing against Wooyoung's side. Seonghwa threw a concerned glance over his shoulder when Hongjoong palely held onto the other scientist.

Humans. This is what happened to humans when they stayed on this planet. Hongjoong's head was spinning, making it increasingly harder to register the conversation. Wooyoung's hand felt familiar around his wrist.

"He's a biologist. He might be able to find out what triggered it. We might not find an antidote, but we might be able to stop it from getting worse," Seonghwa mumbled after concentrating on the two males again. Both of them looked relieved and remorseful at the same time.

"You might be able to help us with something too. You know these cave systems here, right?" San was sly.

"We know the whole crater inside out." Both of them gave affirmative nods, some of their tentacles dangling together as if they were holding each other. It was a bitterly sweet gesture that made Hongjoong's heart clench painfully.

What if he and Wooyoung ended up like that too?

"A friend of ours is stuck seven hundred meters down. Are you able to go that deep?"

They exchanged another look, this one appearing more nervous than before.

"Yes... It will be difficult, but yes, we can take you there." He said it without hesitating further, lifting his hand as if in greeting. However, they kept their safe distance.

"Then-" Seonghwa interrupted himself, throwing another glance at Hongjoong. Hongjoong could feel how pale he was, could feel how the blood had drained from his face, and blank horror had taken over his features.

Foreign bacteria. Weird, foreign bacteria in his body.

"Let us regroup at the beach. Tell us as much as possible about this planet and the illness. We will do our utmost to ensure your health."

Hongjoong was dragged along without caring where they went and what their current plan was. He was busy staring at the webbing between the fingers of their new companions.

They swam at a safe distance from each other. Both groups were too wary of each other to come closer.

"Do you remember your names?"

"I'm Yunho. This is Mingi."

Hongjoong registered both of their names somewhere in the back of his head but didn't think about it further.

He had to find an antidote. There had to be something: some plants, a rock, maybe the stomach acid of some fish. For every bacteria, there was a cure. And if he had to be the first one to find it, then so be it.

He was not going to turn into a fish after a week of staying here and never go home because of the water. No way.

Hongjoong felt weirdly out of place when they resurfaced, and Wooyoung carefully pulled his mask down. He breathed a gulp of what now felt like toxic air, imagining it burning and destroying his DNA.

"I need to sit down," he warned throatily, and immediately Seonghwa was at his side. He reached his hands out only to pull them right back, and his face settled into a frown.

"Wooyoung, help him out of the water, please." He regarded them like a hawk while they went back to shore, their two new friends following. Both of them were still able to breathe above water even if it seemed to result in occasional coughing fits that made them dip down momentarily.

It was horrible to watch and the knowledge of them having once been human had left a burning mark in Hongjoong's mind that he couldn't get rid of.

He tried himself at deep breaths, clenching and unclenching his fists to get the feeling back into his fingers but the anxiety still made him numb.

"Did you try to find a cure already? Or did you simply watch it evolve?" Seonghwa was a bit rude, his guarded self showing, but the two fish did not seem to mind, settling down on the sand close to them. Their fish halves were left in the water while they laid down in the shallow waters, attentive.

Mingi was still staring at Hongjoong restlessly and Hongjoong stared right back in horror. The yellow eyes, green scales shimmering on his shoulders... Once human.

"We did. But while we found ways to make life easier here, we had no ways of researching the bacteria. We are no scientists. We were mere crewmembers." Yunho was playing with some stone between his fingers, sometimes letting his eyes slide over their whole group.

He seemed calm and collected, maybe more so than he should.

"You saw survivors, no?" Wooyoung had picked up on it too, handing over a bottle of water that San gave him to Hongjoong. Hongjoong took it in his hands, holding onto it for dear life.

"No survivors, no. But their remains. We were too late to help." Yunho sounded regretful, his voice getting a vulnerable edge. How often had they thought they had found something only to lose all hope again?

Hongjoong felt himself get restless. Suddenly, he wanted to contact Yongguk, make sure that the man was still out there and listening. He wanted Seonghwa to replay that message from the Sunbeam. He needed that reassurance.

Glad that he was sitting already, Hongjoong ignored his body that trembled even in the sun. Instead, he focused on Mingi, who was right in front of him. The creature had laid his head on his folded arms, watching Hongjoong as if he had never seen one of his kind before. One of his claws drew idle circles into the sand.

"Why did you attack us then? You must have seen that we were different."

Yunho hung his head, whispering an apology.

"We smelled the food you were carrying and some of it was from Earth. We acted upon instinct. We were also confused because you showed no signs of humanity, neither when fighting, nor when you came again to retrieve the bags. We assumed you were some weird drone that the government had dropped on us."

Hongjoong gave a hysterical smile. At least they did not kill on instinct.

Yet.

Mingi gave a low chuckle, his deep voice answering Hongjoong. When their eyes met, Hongjoong shuddered, drawing his knees tight against his body to hug.

Suddenly, the androids and their non-humanness seemed like the most insignificant of all problems to him.

"It's not bad, you know? Do you wanna touch them? They can make you feel good."

It was the first time Mingi had spoken, and it took Hongjoong a moment of confused waiting until he got the reference. One of Mingi's tentacles had snaked up next to his body, the tip brushing against Hongjoong's foot gingerly.

He nearly jolted back in disgust but stayed to watch with morbid fascination how the little suction cups kissed his suit. It didn't budge from the treatment, but Hongjoong was sure that it would if Mingi tried.

"No, thanks."

Mingi gave a little chuckle, pulling back again. His eyes never left Hongjoong.

"Another time then."


	17. A Deep Breath

They had decided against going to search for Jongho today. Mingi and Yunho had taken off to search for something to help their mission with later that day. They had supplied as much information on this planet as possible, and Seonghwa and San had sucked it up like dry sponges.

Hongjoong was a mere bystander, curled up in the place where they had left him. Sometimes Wooyoung came over to gently poke his arm and ask how he felt. Hongjoong didn't answer him.

They later brought him back to the base that still looked a bit run-down from the outside but had become a safe spot inside. They had removed all of the plants inside and fixed any holes left in the walls. When they entered it in the late afternoon, the air inside had become as hot and dense as a stuffy can.

Hongjoong didn't even wait for everybody to come in. He merely slumped down in his sleeping corner, curling up his shivering body. He needed a nap, but the few hours he’d spent in a fitful sleep were not nearly as refreshing as he’d wished. When he woke up sometime in the middle of night, he felt sweaty and restless.

His skin was crawling, itching with the need to strip it off and shove his human cage away that seemed to trap and suffocate him. Hongjoong was sure that the increase of his heart rate had woken him, and he tossed and turned with quiet whines, scratching at the bare skin of his arms.

He hated it. He felt weak and defenseless. He was here, slowly getting consumed by this planet even if he’d managed to not get himself eaten. His defeat felt bitter, made the foul taste in his mouth even worse.

Hongjoong turned again, opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling with his chest heaving for breath.

It was dark out but not as dark as he would have expected, courtesy of the two moons. When Hongjoong stepped outside with his diving suit carelessly pulled up to his hips, both of their pale circles seemed to stare back at him. Hongjoong allowed them to witness his fear, his deep anxiety, and worry about what was to come. Was it even worth trying to survive if it was only to become one of those… things?

Hongjoong dropped down on his haunches, pushing both of his hands through his hair. He felt his fingers tremble against his skin, clenching them around the dark locks in his grip to stop it. Stressed, he tried to breathe deeply, in and out.

Long moments passed with only the stars watching over him and a faint wind brushing over his naked back. Hongjoong's head was blank, all thoughts escaping his grasp.

Only when his senses finally came back to him, he was aware of the soft grass underneath his bare feet. He felt it tickle against his toes when he stood back up, looking around for a moment.

The woods seemed peaceful. Some bugs were chirping away and the occasional rustle in the leaves when a bird moved, but apart from that, it was tranquil.

Hongjoong gave a little sigh, already stopped hoping for more sleep. He might as well take a walk.

This time he went the other way, to the opposite end of the island. He had never gone down here before, and he wanted to look around. The island had two tall mountains, and the base was right in the middle of the two of them. Hongjoong turned left and started walking the paths around the northern peak.

He could finally gather his thoughts a bit. The hypnotizing rush of the waves in the distance helped him refocus on his breathing and concentrate on what he was thinking.

They needed equipment to research that virus. Equipment they didn’t have here.

Hongjoong mindlessly ripped a leaf off some tree to squeeze and shred it in his hands.

Maybe there would be something salvageable on the Aurora. They could give Yongguk a call in the morning and ask him about it. If they split up, they could send Wooyoung and San over to Yongguk, and Hongjoong and Seonghwa would go search for Jongho.

And if they couldn't make use of those... Maybe the androids would be able to build something? At least San must have some blueprints in his database to work with. Then they would only need the necessary materials.

Hongjoong dropped a few sticky leaf shreds to the ground, leaving a trail in his wake. He grumbled under his breath. With a grimace, he wiped his hands on his pants, dropping the rest too.

He ventured a bit further, circling the mountain once. After that, he felt too tired to explore any further and climbed up the bank again to go back. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well keep tabs on their logs or try to pull some weeds from their new base.

Before he managed to go back however, he found himself distracted by the noise of water splashing in his close vicinity. He turned curious as he was quite far from the ocean already. Leaving the paths, Hongjoong followed the noise instead. He had to step around a few bushes only, and then he already saw the small clearing, the little lake in the middle. He was positive that it was connected right to the ocean as he could see the two bodies of their new aquatic friends moving through the water.

It appeared they had brought something, as they had promised, and Seonghwa was there, helping them pull it partly ashore so it wouldn’t get washed away.

Hongjoong descended slowly, sniffing a little when the breeze got to him. When he finally felt sand under his toes and lifted his head again, the two mermen had already left.

The picture was pretty, colorful and picturesque plants glimmering and shining in the moonlight. The water lapped gently at the shore, endlessly dark in the night.

Seonghwa stood there like a dark knight, his face framed by shadows and his wet hair on one side. The other side was palely illuminated by the moon, his eyes looking much darker than they usually would.

Hongjoong slowly walked closer, contemplating to pull the rest of his suit up when he shivered again. Not that it would warm his cold insides up, but he could always try. Before he did, however, Seonghwa was already speaking.

"Are you alright? I left San behind as a means of protection, did something happen?" Concern was laced in his voice. Hongjoong noticed his eyes sliding down his naked chest, checking for any injuries.

"Nothing happened, don't worry. I just couldn't sleep." Hongjoong tiptoed to look over Seonghwa's shoulder, trying to see whatever shadow they had pulled on land. It looked like some sort of machine. "You're working?"

"Affirmative. I wanted to make sure that we can go to search for Jongho in the morning without any complications. I asked Yunho and Mingi about it. According to my calculations, we should be able to go without further issues." He gave a little smile that was probably meant to be uplifting. Hongjoong could only return it weakly.

"Yeah, thanks. I hope he is alright. What is it?" Hongjoong curiously stepped closer, hearing Seonghwa's warning that the rocks underneath were slippery a tad bit too late. With a surprised yell, Hongjoong slipped, sliding right into the water.

It felt cold at night and far too intrusive against his skin.

With a splutter, Hongjoong came up again, trying to snort the water out of his nose. As soon as he’d managed to throw his wet hair out of his eyes, he looked at Seonghwa punishingly.

"Hey, why didn't you try to catch me? You were close enough," he accused barely angry, trying to find a non-slippery spot to push his body up on. Seonghwa watched him struggle with a chuckle.

"Oh? I am certain that you told me not to touch you. I merely followed your wishes." He said it with smug confidence, clearly teasing.

Once again, Hongjoong could only roll his eyes at his humor.

"Brilliant. The one time I'd have needed it... I'll take that back. Can you help me up?" He couldn’t find purchase on the dark rocks, his weak arms not cooperating either.

Seonghwa stepped up with a little hum, crouching down to hold his hand out to Hongjoong. His blue eyes flashed when the light hit them. Hongjoong saw it, but he felt calm when he placed his hand in Seonghwa's, locking them together.

Seonghwa rose, easily pulling him out of the water. Hongjoong's left foot slipped again in the process of finding footing, and he stumbled right into the android's chest, not letting go soon enough.

Both of them froze up, Seonghwa not moving an inch as Hongjoong stood close to him. Their upper bodies pressed together tightly, and he had instinctively grabbed Seonghwa's shoulder. And still, he did not want to let go just yet.

It felt oddly welcoming. The water bickering in the background and the moon shining down on them set a peculiar atmosphere that Hongjoong didn't feel like breaking just yet.

So he just - dropped his head. And everything fell into place like that.

Seonghwa's free arm came up to settle around Hongjoong's waist, pulling their bodies close together in a soft hug. He also shifted the grip of their fingers with each other, interlacing them sweetly.

Hongjoong fit into his arms perfectly, and maybe his heart cracked a little.

"Stay like this, please," he mumbled vulnerably when he felt hot tears in his eyes. Seonghwa merely hummed while Hongjoong hastily tried to blink away the sadness.

"I don't even know why I'm like this, I- Maybe it's a craving for human contact. I'm sorry. If you feel uncomfortable, then-" He sniffed, quietening down when Seonghwa gave no indication to move.

"You can tell me if you want to. I might not be able to give you the comfort you need, but I am good at listening."

Hongjoong sniffled against his chest, grabbing Seonghwa's fingers just a tad more tightly. That suit was annoying him. He wanted to bury his nose in the soft fabric of a real sweater. He missed the smell of home, of scented candles and cooked food. He needed a break from all this.

"I'm probably acting stupidly. I- I'm not hurt, but... I think I just want to go home. I already felt so stressed and now with that sickness looming- you wouldn't understand." He said it without spite, discreetly wiping his runny nose on his hand so he could press against Seonghwa's shoulder again.

He wanted Seonghwa to lay his cheek on his head, wanted to feel more of the little warmth he had to give. But that was too much to ask. Hongjoong wouldn't allow himself to take such a big step in their fragile relationship. So he merely sobbed quietly against the other man's shoulder, his tears hot on his cheeks.

He wondered if Seonghwa felt them.

"No, I can't understand." Seonghwa's voice was deep, a velvety hum in the dark blue night. Dark blue was suited Seonghwa. It was peaceful but deep. "I can't understand, but I can give you a promise. I will do anything to get you home. Anything to prevent you from becoming sick. You will go home, back to your family or your lover or whoever that can understand. I promise. I will make sure of it."

A faint smile painted Hongjoong's quivering lips even when his upper body shook and trembled with emotion, his heart feeling as if it slowly fell apart. He let it, crying in Seonghwa's arms until all of the tears had dried, and he could breathe again. Time to piece it back together.

He must have spent hours there because when he lifted his head again, his hair had long since dried, and the sky was already becoming a lighter gray.

Seonghwa was still there, looking at him attentively while some unkempt strands of his hair brushed against his forehead.

Hongjoong silently stared up at him with itching eyes, getting lost in the inexplicable emotion that Seonghwa's face was showing for a moment.

"Thank you. I will hold you to that. When I get home, I will make sure to gift you some nice new set of screws or something." Hongjoong grinned cheekily, making Seonghwa snort this time.

"Why, how generous of you. I can't wait to send you little obnoxious scientist home and go back to the peaceful days on the ship." Seonghwa rolled his eyes, finally stepping back. Hongjoong immediately missed his warmth, but he bit his lip to hold his comment back.

"Maybe I'll also tell Yongguk to let you roam freely as long as nobody's looking."

Seonghwa gave a little smile.

"That would be nice.”


	18. The Cyclops

"It's called Cyclops. We build it many years ago but it should still be functional. Your robot friends might be able to enhance its functions even more." Yunho patted the side of the submarine they were sitting on casually. He was looking fondly at it like somebody would at a loyal pet. Hongjoong found it endearing, giving a shy smile while still kicking his legs in the water.

They had moved the ship fully back into the water as soon as the whole group had gathered and were now ready to leave. Hongjoong was sitting next to Seonghwa on the blue and white painted metal, listening attentively to Yunho explaining the functions to them.

San and Wooyoung were on their other side and had been playing with Mingi for the last half an hour. From time to time, one of them giggled gleefully, Mingi's dark chuckle still sounding slightly unsettling to Hongjoong's ears. However, both of them seemed to be careful enough around the merman that Seonghwa didn't need to throw wary glances at them constantly.

Hongjoong had decided to stay at least five feet away from Mingi at all times but he felt more comfortable around Yunho.

"We are at your side at all times. If you need us to help you with anything, just call out to us," Yunho finished his simple instructions with a smile, his fangs flashing. Seonghwa nodded at him, rising to his feet then, to step over to the circular airlock on top of the oblong ship. He held it open for Hongjoong, the both of them sharing a tentative smile before he slipped in. 

The Cyclop's hull was made of thick glass that allowed them a clear view of the water. From what Yunho had told them the ship was 54 meters long and thus hard to maneuver. However, Hongjoong was confident that they could do it.

Inside there was enough place for eight people, three were normally needed to pilot the ship. Yunho still swore up and down to also be able to steer it all on his own. 

Hongjoong walked through it once before they took off, taking in the comfortable and clean interior. They had cared for the ship well and there were barely any signs of use. Hongjoong quite liked it as it took the scary edge of swimming unprotected in the deep ocean off. He was glad he would not have to go seven hundred meters down without any sort of vehicle.

By the time Hongjoong returned to the bridge everybody else had already collected around the control panel and the machines were running. The engines made a soothing background noise.

Hongjoong stepped up next to Seonghwa, their shoulders brushing when he listened in to the conversation. Seonghwa respectfully took a step aside.

"I'm sure. My systems are quick in analyzing such machines. I got a few features more than you and if I don't understand something the furthest you can get is about 54 meters from here." San was grinning at Seonghwa cheekily, his hand already settled on the simple steering wheel. Seonghwa was frowning, apparently not sure whether he wanted San to become their captain.

"Come on, Daddy. I'm no child anymore." San rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Wooyoung nodded next to him, not even listening as he was watching Yunho and Mingi having a conversation outside. They had their main tentacles entangled together in a similar fashion of how humans would hold hands. Hongjoong suspected they were a thing - which was not very surprising.

"Yet you call me Daddy. Do as you wish, then. But know that higher speeds generate additional noise, which may attract undesired attention. The options for the power consumption are: Engine Off (0%); Slow (25%); Standard (50%); Flank (100%). The silent running mode may be activated in conjunction with any speed setting to reduce noise close to zero, at a substantial additional power cost. Also-"

San motioned to Hongjoong to make him stop talking and with a little chuckle, Hongjoong did. He gently took Seonghwa's arm, moving him back a bit. The android complied slowly, his eyes attentive on the way San immediately let his hands settle around the wheel. At his touch some holographic screens popped up on the glass in front, updating them on their current status.

"Let him try. We can step in anytime if he fucks up," Hongjoong promised calmly and then pointed his finger at their two duffle bags. "Let's clean up until that happens."

Seonghwa let himself be pulled along unwillingly. However, after his initial nervousness of the ship moving he quickly relaxed again. San let Yunho and Mingi guide them out of the secret exit and into the deeper oceans. Their journey started smoothly and even relatively boring. 

Hongjoong helped Seonghwa clean up and store their things away and then they joined their two friends at the hull and submitted themselves to watching Mingi and Yunho dip through the water in front of them. The bulbs on their tentacles reflected the light of the glowing Anchor Pods in a similar shade of turquoise. 

As they ventured deeper the waters grew darker and soon San sent Wooyoung out to find a button to turn on the lights. Yunho and Mingi did not mind, swimming right in the pale blue light beams so they could be seen.

They were entering what Hongjoong would call the Deep Grand Reef when Seonghwa suddenly spoke up from where he was leaning next to the domed glass hull. He was looking out to the two mermen in one second with his arms crossed in front of his chest, the next he straightened alarmedly.

"Message incoming. Aurora Bridge, Bang Yongguk: _Hey, it's me, Seonghwa. Are you alright over there? I received another message from the Sunbeam. Here it is:_

_Aurora, this is Sunbeam again. We just picked up a massive debris field at your location.  
I didn't know how bad... How many of you... I didn't know.  
We are now en route to your location. We're going to bring you home. Sunbeam out.  
What else can I say? The last time I parked a rig this big on a rock that small was in VR, and I blew it  
Oh, it's a bad option alright, but so are all the others._

_It sounds like a dire situation. I still can't connect to them but they must have received my second emergency call. I'll tell you when they come closer."_

Hongjoong watched Seonghwa like a hawk as the man shut his mouth again, his eyelashes fluttering. That somber expression was back on his face, giving him a touch of a soft sadness. It seemed to be an expression reserved for Yongguk and Yongguk only.

"Can't wait to meet that Jackson dude and offer him some of our best fish here," Wooyoung commented dryly in his corner. San gave an agreeing hum without taking a break from his duty, his sharp eyes focused.

"We can be glad that they are still getting here. We'd be lost without them." Hongjoong gave a little nod in Seonghwa's direction. "Give Bang an update and ask upon his status. As soon as we have a date and location we will get him."

He watched Seonghwa wander off with his fingers busily tapping away at the holographic screen he had projected from his left arm. He disappeared further inside of the ship, leaving Hongjoong to watch the kids.

A long silence stretched between them. Wooyoung was leaning against the panel on the left side of the wall and checking for any dangerous creatures through their senors. He met Hongjoong's curious eyes with a sly grin, nodding at him to speak.

"I'm just... Curious. Speaking from experience, do you think those two are a thing?"

Wooyoung looked perplexed for a second, then he started grinning broader and broader until he looked very unsettling. He had something of a Cheshire Cat, his whole face mischievous.

And oh boy, he looked so young.

Hongjoong felt a stab of responsibility in his heart, reminding himself to take good care of that boy.

"Bang and Seonghwa? What makes you think that?"

Hongjoong shifted, awkward. He didn't want to ask Seonghwa because... Why even? He wouldn't hurt the robot with such a question. Even then, now he already had Wooyoung and his endless curiosity on his hands.

"I don't know... They seem close. His eyes seem different when they talk to each other. It's not like you two but- Are you even listening?" Hongjoong was weirded out by Wooyoung's suspicious grin. He narrowed his eyes at the younger man and crossed his arms, waiting.

"I sure am. But I can reassure you. I don't think they actually are a thing. They probably have some other kind of bond but I don't think it goes in a romantic direction. At least not for Bang." He said it sugary sweetly, making Hongjoong lift a brow at him. This boy always looked like he was scheming something in the back of his mind.

Hongjoong didn't exactly feel reassured as there was nothing to worry about but he did feel his curiosity grow even more. He started to wonder why those two unlikely men became so close and if there was nothing from Yongguk's point of view - what it was for Seonghwa.

"Do you agree though? He seems different when they talk, no?" Hongjoong turned his head to watch them close in on some huge hole between the rocks. Yunho turned his head to beckon the Cyclops to follow them down, easily slipping inside. San complied, steering the ship with finesse.

"I guess. But I'd say much of it is also simply Seonghwa's personality. He's fond of everybody."

Hongjoong shut his tongue to stop himself from correcting the man. Seonghwa was a protection unit after all.

"You know, he looks at you not that much different. I'd rather draw a line between you and Bang and me and Sannie," Wooyoung hummed lost in thought, then narrowed his eyes at something on his screen.

"Anyway. Let's concentrate on the task at hand. I'm sure Seonghwa would be more than happy to answer all your questions concerning his romantic feelings." He tapped at something, zooming in on it, while Hongjoong still stood stunned in silence.

He and Yongguk on the same page? It seemed highly unlikely. If he had understood everything correctly, Yongguk had been the one person to treat Seonghwa with respect and look after him in his lonely times on the Aurora. Hongjoong and his constant need to criticize and bully the androids weren't even near that.

"Sannie there's something coming up. It looks a bit evil, maybe try to evade it."

"Got it, honey." San carefully steered deeper into the thick darkness. The humming of the machines felt eerie by now and Hongjoong got the sinking feeling that there was something much more terrifying than a mere Reaper waiting for them down here. He felt trapped in those depths, the weird creature floating around in the distance not helping.

Hongjoong focused on Yunho when he suddenly turned, motioning them something about closing his eyes. Sannie blinked at him for a long confused second, then he gently nodded his chin at the tensed Wooyoung.

"Go turn off the lights. I'll set the power down low."

Wooyoung hurried to hit the according button, bathing them in darkness.

There was still the faint glow from the Anchor Pods outside but the silence of the low running machines seemed deafening. Hongjoong held his breath as they carefully glided through the water, following Yunho who had come closer so they could still see him.

They were still going deeper, evading the creature with the weird round head to disappear in the depths. After they passed some glowing ray-like creatures, they found themselves at a deep and gaping abyss. It looked terrifying, everything inside of Hongjoong screaming to turn back already.

Yunho again waved at them to follow, swimming over the edge and down into the unknown waters.

Hongjoong's skin was crawling in fear and nervously he scratched over his arms, not looking up when steps came closer again.

San gave a deep sigh.

"Down we go."

And they followed through the darkness.


	19. The Lost River

After what felt like an endless descend into the gaping abyss with no source of light whatsoever, Hongjoong felt his nerves beginning to gnaw on him. He became skittish, every brush of a harmless fish against the glass, making him jolt. He knew it would be easier for him to go and hide somewhere in the back and not fuel his fear further by waiting for something to attack them. However, not knowing what would happen sounded like a much more terrifying idea.

Wooyoung was tense too, leaning against his console with crossed arms. Sometimes he shivered, rubbing his arms in a soothing gesture that Hongjoong could relate to deep in his heart.

They were still going deeper. The Cyclops' gauges suggested that they were at 667 meters depth when the ocean finally seemed to clear up again.

Clear up was the wrong word, though. The water instead seemed to become even murkier, making it hard to see far. Instead, a faint green glow illuminated everything, coming from some fauna, as per usual. The group obviously were in some sort of cave.

It seemed like an odd cave, though. There was a green patch of ground that seemed to glow from within itself. When San asked Wooyoung to turn on the light again, Hongjoong also observed some sort of gas fuming from it anywhere.

Seonghwa quietly spoke up from somewhere behind San, having supervised him for the time being so he would not crash the Cyclops into the treacherous rocks.

"Terrain scans indicate this biome contains unusually high concentrations of organic and fossilized remains."

Hongjoong nervously scratched at his arms, copying Wooyoung's gesture from earlier. He made eye contact with Yunho outside, the man's orange eyes reflecting the light from their ship creepily. He gave them a thumbs up, beckoning them to follow them inside further.

Hongjoong felt as if there was a heavy rock in his stomach, weighing him down as gravity would. However, the deeper they went, the further an easy escape was to make the more burdensome it felt. It was dread, cold fear clinging to his stomach and nape at following these two creatures in such depths. No matter how human they once were.

With another rub of his arms, Hongjoong turned his head when he heard steps closing in on him. It was Seonghwa, slowly coming closer. His eyes seemed guarded, obviously scanning Hongjoong.

"Your heart rate just spiked. Do you feel cold?" It was pleasing to hear his voice. Ever the same, calm and soothing.

Hongjoong took a shaky breath, giving him his best smile.

"Most humans don't like the deep ocean. I guess it's a natural reaction."

Seonghwa nodded thoughtfully and then went over to one of the cupboards. He pulled a fleece blanket out, gingerly unfolding it. He placed it around Hongjoong's shoulders then, with his hands lingering in a soothing back rub for a long moment. Hongjoong appreciated it, huddling tighter into the blanket. 

Across from them, Wooyoung's inspiration spiked, and he went and got another blanket to place around San's shoulders. The android cooed at him at the sweet gesture, his dimples full on display.

"I can't get cold, baby. Come on, keep yourself warm. You are safe inside here."

Wooyoung pouted back at him, his big eyes unsatisfied.

Hongjoong watched with a chuckle as San pondered for a moment and then opened one arm, holding the blanket invitingly. Wooyoung beamed immediately, slipping into his arms to get enveloped by San's hug and the fluffy blanket. Hongjoong caught himself smiling when Wooyoung leaned up to press a little kiss against San's cheek. After that, they just cuddled, San never taking his eyes off his duty.

"It's Jongho."

Hongjoong flinched when Seonghwa spoke close next to him. He had assumed that the man had already walked off again but apparently not. Seonghwa gave him a smile that looked pained and apologizing at the same time.

_"Hey, it's me again. I'm not sure if this even gets through to you guys but I wanted to give an update. We're still alive, everything is still very dark, and our rations are getting sparse. I sent Yeosang out by now to catch some fish to eat, but- Well, not all fishes here are meant to be eaten. I got a feeling that some fishes are merely trying to eat us. Only over my dead body. Which - actually - would make much sense. Because I would be very dead when they eat me. Anyways... Why am I even recording this? Jongho over and out."_

It was such a clear message that Hongjoong was surprised for a long moment to even recognize his voice. There was no static humming, no pauses. They had to be really close. Still, who the hell was Yeosang? Hongjoong was pretty sure that the female android that had accompanied Jongho usually would not call herself a male name.

Seonghwa pulled his screen up again, tapping away. He then pressed some button and started speaking.

"Medico Choi? This is PSH 22, and I am with Medico Kim from your lab. We are coming to get you in a submarine right now. Can you hear this?"

A tense moment of silence passed with them driving slowly over what Hongjoong only now noticed to be a river. A river in the sea.

Hongjoong started tapping his feet on the ground impatiently by the time Jongho answered, what even took him so long?! It was not as if he had anything to do down here!

_"Oh, boy, am I glad to hear from you, whoever you are. Kim, is there? Hongjoong, I'm so fucking glad to hear you survived. Yeosang kept missing you, sorry for stealing your android. It was an emergency. You are coming to get us, yeah? Where are you? I'd try to send Sangie out to come and get you, but the chances are high he won't find you."_

His android? KYS? Could it possibly be?

Hongjoong felt giddy. He would get not only Jongho back but also his android whom he - surprisingly - had also missed a lot. Him being away finally made Hongjoong notice how good of a helper he was.

This time when they answered, it was Hongjoong leaning over, his shoulder touching Seonghwa's as he spoke. Seonghwa kindly held the button for him.

"Jongho, it's me, Hongjoong. We just entered that green river cave and have nearly reached your coordinates. It's best if you don't move. Pack everything you need, we will get the hell out of there as soon as we got you guys." Hongjoong could not keep himself from smirking triumphantly around his words. It was infectious, Seonghwa also giving a little private smile.

A little time passed in which the Cyclops was humming gently. And then, a simple, chocked up ' _Aye Captain_ ' came back from Jongho before it went quiet again.

Hongjoong turned to Seonghwa with a gleeful smile, not feeling that cold anymore under his blanket. Seonghwa returned his gaze with a little twinkle in his eyes, his gentle face fond.

"We did it! We found them! And KYS - or Yeosang - too, thank God! I can't wait to get the hell out of here." He spoke in a rush, similar to a waterfall, and with all his relief apparent in his voice. The stone on his heart seemed to have lifted just a little bit, the blanket around his shoulders warm.

Seonghwa smiled kindly at him, ever so patient. 

"Affirmative. And if another emergency signal reaches us, we will have a larger group to help them with. This is a very beneficial situation," Seonghwa agreed in his own way. Hongjoong could only return his smile, happily turning to San then when the man cleared his throat discreetly. 

San nodded his chin towards the glass dome without saying a word.

Hongjoong turned without expecting much to see rather than more green water and dark stone walls. However, there was, by now a lot to see.

There was the flora that made the room glow in that eerie green light. They were mostly hidden underneath the river surface, but some of their luminous tips breached the water to point like fingers into the cave.

Hongjoong was dying of curiosity about what that strange river was made of.

He was distracted soon by some other kind of ray floating by. He had seen so many different types of rays by now, and all of them seemed peaceful. And the kinds in the deep ocean seemed even more majestic than the ones in the shallow waters.

These here seemed to be entirely translucent with cyan bioluminescence. It had two glowing red organs behind the eyes, as well as another, non-bioluminescent, organ just above the base of the tail. They were beautiful, and the ghostly wails that the Cyclops detected from them sounded like the lonely song of a whale.

They were floating with graceful movements all through the large room that was reaching way too far into the cave for the Cyclops to light up.

Hongjoong was watching with rapt attention, swallowing carefully at the sheer beauty of this eerie habitant. He gently nudged his elbow into Seonghwa's side, wanting him to speak up already.

The man immediately did, his eyes flickering around to watch everything at the same time.

"The Lost River is a frigid, generally gloomy and foggy biome, possessing a distinct greenish tint in the water that is mostly illuminated by the alkaline brine pools, as well as an eerie atmosphere with the occasional Ghostray wails. These brine pools cover almost all of the lower portions of the caverns. The brine pools found throughout most of the cave system will harm humans upon direct contact, with the exception being while within the Cyclops. Fauna and flora found within the Lost River are immune to the brine, a trait carried only by them."

Damn, Hongjoong should have known. Alkaline brine, of course. The depth and the coldness of this biome allowed much more salt to collect in the water than in the shallow waters.

He needed a sample.

"How cold is it?" Hongjoong was still distractedly watching the Ghostrays, enraptured by their beauty. 

"We detect a current outside temperature of a whopping 3.5 degrees. Let's not send you fragile little humans out." San joined the conversation with humor, steering the ship deeper into the cave. There was some shadow looming ahead of them, maybe a rock structure disrupting the cave.

"This biome seems big. Can you ask Jongho if Yeosang saw anything remarkable on his journeys out? Something to go by?" Wooyoung asked with a quizzical glance at the map of corridors that the sensors had conjured for them. Hongjoong stepped over to take a curious look too, watching it map out a blue hologram of the surroundings.

Seonghwa did what he'd been asked for, stepping up to San's side then. He started murmuring with the other android, Wooyoung not even listening as he was resting with his head leaned against San's shoulder.

_"Ah yeah, about that... We are in a skull. There's a gigantic fucking skeleton lying around you shouldn't be able to miss it."_

Hongjoong shivered at that, exchanging a nervous glance with Wooyoung. 

A gigantic skeleton of what? A Reaper Leviathan, maybe? Jongho, of course, had no idea what the real big fishes here looked like. Oh, the fun of telling him tasted like the sweetest of all pleasures. That boy had been sitting the worst out down here and had no idea about all the dangers out there.

"San, do you see a 'fucking gigantic skeleton' around here?" Seonghwa said it funnily, his voice sounding weird around the crude words.

"Hmm, give me a second. C'mon, Yunho..." He gave some sort of signal with the lights of the Cyclops, making the man turn to them. San waved him over, nodding at Hongjoong to go over to the pool.

Hongjoong did, wandering through the thin corridor and to the big cargo doors on the floor. From the bridge, San could open them and thus created a pool of water to enter without accidentally flooding the ship. It worked similar to the life pods.

Yunho surfaced not much later, coughing a bit before he managed to turn his horned head towards Hongjoong without tears filling his eyes. Hongjoong came closer curiously, dipping his hand into the water next to where Yunho was holding his body up on the edge.

The water was freezing cold, indeed. Hongjoong would give his human body 20 minutes inside before he died. Maybe less.

"Are you alright?" Worry was lacing Hongjoong's voice. After all, Yunho and Mingi had been human once. 

"Yeah, don't worry. Where is your friend?" Yunho gave a crooked smile, his tentacles swishing beneath him in the water.

"He said something about a huge skeleton. Is there one nearby?"

Yunho looked down at the water, pensive. 

"There's bones everywhere here so-... Oh, damn." His voice dropped with alarm within seconds, his eyes widening. Hongjoong moved back, worried if he should get Seonghwa.

"What? What is it?"

"Leviathan."


	20. Ghost Leviathan

The distress about the situation was written clearly on Yunho's face in a worried grimace. His lips had pulled back in a snarl, his bottomless eyes seeming wider than usual. He looked feral in a defensive way.

"What is it? What kind of- It's aggressive?"

"Yeah, it-" He got distracted by a movement out of the corners of his eyes. Hongjoong would have mistaken it for a Ghost Ray, the blueish glint was gone far too swiftly to detect. However, with the way Yunho restlessly curled in fear, there was no way it was a harmless ray.

"It's a juvenile. Damn it. How are we supposed to get past it?!" Anxiety was dripping from his loud voice thickly, making Hongjoong swallow helplessly. What could they do? If they had to flee, how would they get Yeosang and Jongho?

Yunho turned quickly, scanning Hongjoong up and down for a few moments.

"Go back to Seonghwa. Mingi and I will make sure to distract it. You get your friend in the meantime and then we will get the hell out of here." With that, he gave a hesitant nod that seemed to work, not even on himself before diving again. Hongjoong looked after him, his heart clenching with fear. After a long second of contemplating their options, he rose, moving to go back.

He wasn't prepared for the sudden hit the Cyclops received. The forceful impact made the whole ship shake as if hit by an earthquake. Or rather, as if hit by something big.

Hongjoong was ultimately not ready to stop his body from losing its balance and falling into the pool behind him. Right into the freezing, dangerous ocean that pulled him in a deathly embrace. The water was icy in his lungs, seeming cold enough to freeze him from inside out and slow his confused movements down. Thankfully he was wearing his suit that protected his body, but he didn't have his oxygen tank with him.

After the flit of bubbles that came with his fall cleared up, Hongjoong froze for a moment, looking around. He could see the ground from here, those odd florae that covered the poisonous river. There were also some rays in the distance, but they - rightfully so - seemed to keep their safe distance from the leviathan that seemed much too close for comfort.

As if reading Hongjoong's thoughts, a bone-chilling cry sounded. Similar to the rays' it seemed incredibly lonely, luring in unsuspecting empaths. However, just like the Reaper, this one sounded big. Big and hungry. Its yell seemed belligerent, the high screech of it ingraining itself in Hongjoong's mind.

Hongjoong turned, trying to spot it, and indeed, there was something not too far from him that appeared to be uninterested when in reality, it was just circling its prey. It looked similar to the rays concerning its color scheme, nearly translucent with blues and oranges inside. However, the many eyes it wore on his hammerhead were yellow and showed no kind of mercy. It looked like some massive snake, and if Hongjoong was guessing right, it was even larger than how Wooyoung had described the Reaper to them.

Juvenile.

Hongjoong hurried up after he had gotten a good look at it. He quickly swam back into the Cyclops, retaking a deep breath. When he had gotten all of the water out of his nose, eyes, and ears, he finally also noticed Seonghwa, who was kneeling at the pool.

"Hongjoong! Come here, hurry up!"

Hongjoong flicked his hair out of his eyes, blinking as he focused Seonghwa's outstretched hand. The android sure liked helping him out of the water.

With a strained groan, Hongjoong slipped his shivering hand in the other male's, letting himself get pulled out. Seonghwa had collected the blanket Hongjoong had lost at the pool earlier, now wrapping it around the trembling man.

"Come on, you need to stay close to me and get out of those wet clothes. We finally located Jongho and Yeosang." Hongjoong snuggled into the blanket while Seonghwa led him away with one arm around his hips. Hongjoong could concentrate only a little on not slipping, his naked feet leaving a wet trail behind him. The cold felt even worse out of the water, and Hongjoong had to grit his teeth to keep them from chattering loudly.

Seonghwa gave him a worried glance, his dark brows drawn together tightly when Hongjoong sunk even more into his side.

"Stay alert. We will leave this place as soon as possible."

Hongjoong barely listened to him, busy chasing the bits of heat that Seonghwa claimed to possess. He had lost track of whether he was shaking out of fear or cold, but in the end, it did not matter. His head felt clouded, panic settling in.

They were trapped in a ship inside of a cave with nowhere to go. Anybody would get claustrophobic.

"'m cold, Hwa." Hongjoong nuzzled up into the other man's neck, grabbing onto the blanket as if it could save him. Seonghwa looked entirely overwhelmed. He probably already planned to sedate Hongjoong somehow for the time being.

"I know. Come here." Seonghwa pulled him into one of the other rooms, making him sit down in the sickbay. He carefully peeled a whining Hongjoong out of his blanket and suit, giving him a dry blanket to hug. Hongjoong was still shivering when Seonghwa dried his hair, his anxiety burning ten times more energy than usual.

And then the next hit came.

With wide eyes, Hongjoong reached up to protect his head from the impact as the Cyclops suddenly tilted. Everything inside of the room went horizontal for a moment. Thankfully, any object inside was secured in some way so that nothing would leave its place.

However, Seonghwa was not secured. With a warning call, the man was sent sprawling onto Hongjoong's lap, hitting him roughly with his elbow in the process. Hongjoong yelped too, feeling his hands get crushed between his head and the wall.

As soon as the ship went back to normal again, both of them let themselves go lax on the cot. For a second, it was just two bodies lying close together; then, a deep sigh escaped both of their mouths at the same time. Seonghwa gave a low chuckle.

"Forgive me. Please make sure to stay inside here and not to hurt yourself while I help San with retrieving the life pod."

Hongjoong wanted to help too. He wanted to go out there and do his utmost to ensure everybody's safety. But Seonghwa was right, as always. He was much less likely to get attacked and also much faster of a swimmer than Hongjoong was.

"Alright." No matter how quickly he conceded, Hongjoong could not keep the worried tilt out of his voice. What if Seonghwa got attacked? What if they had to ditch him and San to survive? The thought felt ashen on Hongjoong's taste, making his insides clench into an uncomfortable ball.

Seonghwa didn't seem to notice Hongjoong's worry. Slightly, he patted Hongjoong's head affectionally, stepping away then. The human looked after him for a moment, after his broad shoulders that retreated through the door with determined steps. Hongjoong couldn't stop himself from starting to gnaw on his lips anyway.

With the blanket tight around his shoulders, he waited. There was no other hit directed at them for now, but Hongjoong still felt horrible waiting just like that.

In the end, he decided against Seonghwa's orders and sneaked out to go join Wooyoung at the hull. In his opinion, none of them should have to be alone right now, and if the leviathan was focused on the rest of the group, they should be safe in here.

Hongjoong passed through the eerily quiet ship with the blanket tight around his shoulders. Wooyoung stood behind the wheel, watching the happenings in front of them with a blank expression. He seemed just a bit too empty for Hongjoong's likings, but he would not question it. Shutting off was a way of coping also.

Rather, Hongjoong was captivated by the view.

They had found the skeleton that Jongho had been talking about. And it was indeed huge.

It had to be much larger than any Reaper or leviathan they had seen before here. From Hongjoong's current point of view, he could only see the colossal skull that was propped onto the ground with open jaws. It looked similar to some ancient kind of dinosaur with teeth that were bigger than Hongjoong himself.

Behind the skull, there were some ribs that lost themselves in the murky water after a few hundred meters. Every bit of bone seemed to be covered by florae and corals, making the pale bone appear green. And right in the underjaw, there was a Lifepod. Nestled between sharp teeth and looking horribly out of the picture with its orange and white colors.

Hongjoong stared with an open mouth at the fucking skull that seemed to be about a hundred meters big. Compared to this, a Reaper was a baby, and Hongjoong would be overjoyed if he never had to meet the live version of this.

With rapt attention, he watched how San and Seonghwa - irrelevant little dots in front of the skeleton - moved in on the life pod. In the distance, the juvenile leviathan was chasing hungrily after Yunho and Mingi, who switched in capturing his attention as to confuse him for long enough to flee. Sometimes its confused roars sounded in the distance, making Hongjoong shiver even from his current position.

Hongjoong's fingernails dug deep crescents into his skin, drawing blood when he noticed some other eel-like fish try to attack San and Seonghwa. Wooyoung gave a flinch when San kicked it off powerfully and froze again immediately after. Tense, they watched on as the two androids entered the ridiculously big skull.

They made it safely to the hatch, pulling it open carefully. Seonghwa dipped in to retrieve one person, then another in a full diver's suit.

Hongjoong unclenched his fists, trying to remind himself to breathe. They needed to be ready to flee and treat any possible wounds that Jongho might have sustained.

Still, he could not take his eyes off. He found his gaze mostly glued to Seonghwa - of course, he had no android if Seonghwa died - and sometimes he nervously glanced at the blue leviathan and the odd duo of mutations.

Worried, he rubbed his arms, trying not to hurt himself somewhere out of nervousness.

When the four of them turned and started to swim back towards the Cyclops, Wooyoung finally awoke from his trance.

"Let's receive them as carefully as possible. And then we'll set all the machines to max power and leave this place behind," Wooyoung murmured scratchily, and Hongjoong nodded, moving to tie the blanket securely around his hips so it would not slip off if he had to help with something.

Both of them were ready to run to the hatch to receive them, every single muscle in their bodies tensed, as they watched the four slowly coming closer.

And in precisely that moment, the leviathan decided that it had played enough with Yunho and Mingi. With a sharp swipe of its tail, it turned, going right for the four divers.

Wooyoung gave a choked cry, moving to the glass dome to press his hands against it. Yelling was futile; no warning would have made their friends swim faster. Even then, Hongjoong sent prayers out to every single god in existence he knew, begging for their safety.

San, as well as Seonghwa, had grabbed onto Jongho, dragging the slower male with them through the water while Yeosang followed closely behind. Yeosang was also the first person to notice the leviathan coming for them, swimming even faster with its sleek body.

They hurried even more, soon disappearing out of view above the ship. Hongjoong hesitated only a moment, staring in the twelve unpitying eyes of the leviathan before he turned and ran after Wooyoung to help.

All four of them dropped through the airlock, safe and sound while the angry cries and rams of the leviathan shook them to the core, complicating things.

However, they managed. They pulled the hatch shut, San ran to the wheel, and then they turned to flee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If somebody wants to come scream at me on Twitter, btw, it's @Susimau_s


	21. Flight or Flight

Jongho had had a long two weeks. And he'd like to say that those two weeks ended after that unfamiliar android opened the hatch above his head to get them the hell out of the freezing biome but as it seemed that was not the end yet.

Jongho was inside of their orderly ship now, the Cyclops, as he had read on the metal on the side. And while he could not be any happier about finally seeing his team leader again, their joyous reunification came up short.

There was no time for emotional hugs and words of reassurance. Jongho had barely dropped to the floor heavily when the whole ship was in chaos already. The smaller of the two androids leaped over his body and ran right into another room with Doctor Jung hot on his heels. Jongho knew the physicist; after all, they had sometimes passed each other in the break room when Jongho got himself his daily fix of three liters of coffee. He was a kind man that Jongho was not opposed to seeing here.

It was Hongjoong who stayed kneeling at his side when the other android also took off with another glance at Hongjoong that went undetected by the oblivious human.

And oh, Jongho knew that gaze. He had watched it for years on Jung's android's face whenever the sweet man thought Jung wasn't looking.

Jongho sat up with Hongjoong's help, shivering after the mere 10 minutes he had to spend in the water. From the looks of Hongjoong's dark hair, their team leader had done the same thing not that long ago. Jongho wouldn't ever have guessed that their chef was built like that, not bad.

"I'm so fucking glad to have you back. I was worried sick about you. You too, Yeosang." Hongjoong hugged Jongho despite their current situation, even if it was cut short when he also hurried to hug Yeosang. The android blinked, surprised by the sudden closeness. When their gazes met, Jongho gave a nonchalant shrug.

Hongjoong was moving in a flurry through the now moving ship, helping Jongho rise. He ushered both of them into what appeared to be the sickbay hastily, telling them to sit down as he hurried to get a blanket just like his for Jongho.

With a grimace, Jongho peeled his suit off, wrapping the blanket around his muscles that kept spasming from cold shocks. Yeosang gently rubbed one corner of the blanket through Jongho's hair for him, leaving a wet patch on the cot himself.

"Are you alright? Hurt anywhere? Need some food?"

It was unlikely for Hongjoong to be so blinded by his need to help. Usually, he would try to juggle every task and need on the ship at the same time.

Jongho exchanged another gaze with Yeosang, who had already started scanning Hongjoong by now, his brows furrowed. In the end, the android's eyes got stuck to the man's arms. He didn't point it out, but he let his eyes flicker over to Jongho and back, giving a secret hint.

Jongho took a good look at their leader too, at the way his bloodied nails were nervously scratching over the skin of his arms. Jongho spotted the odd rash on his body immediately. Hongjoong must have been to busy to notice but just how on Jongho's skin, there was a faint discolouration to his veins. They protruded more under his skin, shimmering in a barely noticeable green.

Jongho wasn't sure yet what kind of bacteria it was, any theory that he and Yeosang had come up with had been in vain. However, he hoped that the other team had more answers for them. While a sneeze here and there was the only symptom that Jongho had noticed apart from the skin irritation, he feared it could escalate soon.

"Could you get us your android? The tall one?" Yeosang asked calmly, his deep voice composed as ever and his light brown hair slicked back to dry. Hongjoong nodded immediately, hurrying to leave. Jongho grimaced when he noticed an even more apparent web of veins on Hongjoong's back. There were even some brightly glowing patches of green.

The door had barely closed behind him when Yeosang was already all over Jongho.

Jongho caught his weight easily, barely noticing it to concentrate on the feeling of Yeosang's lips finding his. The android kissed feverishly, every drop of relief pouring out from him. Jongho took it, embracing the man's waist tightly while he gently accepted every press of soft lips. His hands splayed over the android's hips, pulling him comfortably into his lap.

"We did it. We actually managed to get out of there finally," Yeosang murmured between kisses as if he could barely believe it himself. Jongho embraced him with as much assurance as possible, making sure Yeosang could feel most of his sturdy body. They were not dreaming. They would finally see the light of the day again.

"Yes. You did so well, Yeosang. I would've gone crazy down there without you." It was no lie. Being confined in such a small space for weeks without any hope of survival and hordes of weird creatures swimming around them had gnawed on Jongho's nerves horribly. He had no idea what he would have done had Yeosang not been there.

Jongho was just moving to pull Yeosang in even further, to deepen their kiss when a gentle cough interrupted them. Yeosang immediately ducked to hide his face in Jongho's neck, the human courageously fighting his blush down.

Hongjoong was back with his android. It was a pretty guy (not as gorgeous as Yeosang, of course) with a slender build and carved features. Jongho knew enough about the Aurora's androids to be aware that this one was an older model that they generally used for emergencies only. He was glad that Hongjoong had found him. With Kris gone at the time and Hongjoong having disappeared despite the Aurora literally crashing, it was no wonder that Yeosang had grabbed Jongho and fled. They had been worried about Hongjoong's wellbeing.

"I see you were occupied down here, huh?" Hongjoong stepped in first, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Jongho was honestly surprised. He had expected Hongjoon to react with disgust or contempt. This was new.

Jongho's gaze strayed from the human to his android, trying to connect the dots. They didn't appear to be in a relationship, so why...

"We had to pass the time somehow. Will you allow Yeosang to exchange data with your android? Then we won't have to explain every detail now." Jongho gave a cheeky grin, waiting for Hongjoong's reaction.

And oh, what was that? He hesitated.

Hongjoong's eyes flickered over to the other man with a carefully hidden apprehension in his eyes, making Jongho narrow his eyes at him again. There was something in the bush indeed.

"Go on, I won't stop you." He seemed just a tad dissatisfied, moving away so Yeosang could rise and access his android. Jongho understood far too well. While he had no problems with seeing the androids kiss for informational purposes, it still looked so entirely wrong to see Yeosang's lips press against those of the taller male.

At least, the moment didn't take long, Yeosang stepping back respectfully.

"I see this planet is much to take in. Be ready for some more leviathans, Jongho," Yeosang commented dryly when he dropped down next to the man again. He seemed to shift through his new data for a moment, filing it away before he nodded calmly.

"Alright. I wanted to ask you about the bacterium anyway. I see you made some progress with it."

Jongho's curious glance got him a quick rundown of how the bacterium was responsible for transforming and mutating their genes so they would become part of this planet. Apparently, there were also two guys around here that had been contaminated with it and currently helping their escape. Jongho would dwell more on it later. For now, it was more important to gather the basics.

They had a safe base on land, it was now the six of them, and a ship was coming to get them. That was good news. The rest was all about survival.

"So tell us then. What happened during the crash? How did you even get that far down into a cave?" Hongjoong was the one asking, his curiosity apparent in his voice. Jongho noticed how he stood leaned against his android's shoulder, both of them very attached to each other.

Jongho had to get the gossip from Wooyoung as soon as it was time. Their busy and hard-working team leader falling for an android of all things? No way.

"Well, you were out to get your coffee, and Kris wanted to check on the samples in the other lab. Basically it was only the four of us, including Lydia and Yugyeom inside there. We lost track of her on our escape, Yeosang naturally paired up with me. We also dropped into the water somewhere, and it was all fun until some weird... what did you call them?" Jongho turned to Yeosang for help, receiving a patient smile.

"A Reaper Leviathan. It was a Reaper Leviathan," he supplied helpfully, Jongho resuming to talk.

"Right. A Reaper Leviathan dragged us down through like so many caves. There was so much getting thrown around, so much to see while it played with the life pod. In the end, it dropped us in the skeleton because it got scared off by the Ghost Leviathan. The creatures down there were less interested in us, but maybe they mistook us as part of the skeleton anyway." He sure as hell was thankful for that.

"Anyway. I couldn't leave the thing because of the water and the danger, and whenever Yeosang went out he found it too dangerous to cross to flee. We had to wait for somebody and I very much appreciate being saved." Jongho smiled at Hongjoong's android, who smiled right back, seeming content himself.

Hongjoong just opened his mouth to speak when the power went out abruptly.

Jongho shut up too, confused. It didn't seem like silent running mode, especially when they had just been using all power cells for their escape. Why in the hell would they shut down?

He yelled, startled, when Yeosang suddenly dropped into his lap, his body limp. Jongho caught him quickly, arranging him back so he could lay down comfortably. Hongjoong across from him seemed to have the same struggle if the little tense grunts he gave were any indication.

"What is it, what happened?!" Jongho nervously cried, shaking the still Yeosang, who was not moving at all. Hongjoong carefully laid his android down on the floor, running to open the door.

"Wooyoung?! What's going on?!"

A yell from further down the ship answered.

"San just collapsed! We are crashing into a wall, be careful!"

At that, Jongho grabbed Yeosang's peaceful form tightly, curling above him to protect him from the impact. Hongjoong managed to grab onto a cupboard just in time.

The ship connected with the stone with an ugly screech, throwing them off balance. Jongho made sure that Yeosang wouldn't get hurt anywhere, rolling him back against the wall after the worst had passed.

Wooyoung came running not soon after, joining Hongjoong in the doorway.

"There was this giant squid, and he did something, some energy impulse, and now all of the machines are turned off! San won't wake up anymore!" He was panicking, his scratchy voice breaking around his yelling. Hongjoong reached out to comfort him immediately while Jongho quickly rose too.

He collected the other android from the floor, laying it down next to Yeosang so they would be safe. Then he turned back to the other two, serious.

"I can make the ship work again, but not the androids. Get San over here too, I will make sure that we will get out of here." He would deny how much his own voice was shaking. He gave a reassuring smile in the darkness.

Wooyoung nodded quickly, scrambling away to go get San while Hongjoong accompanied Jongho to the hull. The faint glow from some plants outside made it easier to detect the things here, so Jongho quickly went over to their computer, pulling up the menu for information on what the hell just happened.

"EMP blast, alright. Guys, get your oxygen tanks, just in case. I can make this work." The power was already coming back, if slowly. He turned the lights off still, preferring to work in the darkness if that squid attacked power cells.

The only thing that bothered him was the eerie yellow glow coming from outside, though. As he was walking over to the main control panel, he threw an annoyed glance outside, glaring at whatever plant that was shining so brightly at them.

It was hiding in the dark, twelve huge yellow dots directed right at them and filling the waters with their glow.

Jongho blinked angrily, willing it to go out so he could work in peace.

And it blinked right back.


	22. Twelve Eyes

Jongho stared at the thing in the shadows in disbelief, not daring to turn the lights on just yet. If he made the thing attack them, it might be their last hit. According to the machines, the Cyclops had already suffered a great deal of damage, and if it broke down completely, they had nowhere to go anymore.

To be honest, he had no idea what this even was that was preying on them from the shadows. It could have been a shoal of fish with no ulterior motives, but after everything Jongho had seen and heard of this planet so far, he would not risk that. Not with San just getting carried off by Wooyoung, not with Hongjoong making sure that their unconscious androids were being taken cared of two rooms away.

Jongho would do his best to get them out of here, and that entailed not getting them eaten, thank you very much.

The scientist didn't take his eyes off the still thing in front of them when he reached over to the console slowly. He rebooted the Cyclops, letting it hum on low energy while he pulled up the sensors. He had to trust those now, that the androids were out. With his attention diverted by the unknown predator, he tapped in the permission to scan, waiting patiently.

The low buzz of the engines seemed deafening to his ears while Jongho waited, praying inwardly that none of the idiots would come running right now. When the screen to his left finally filled with information, Jongho allowed himself to peek over.

And they definitely had a problem.

He didn't even read through the whole article. The mere mention of Ghost Leviathan, 107 meters, avoid at all costs was enough information for him.

Jongho smoothly reached over to the navigator, searching up the information on where they had come from. He ordered the ship to return to that spot on autopilot, moving away from the wheel then. His steps were careful and measured so he wouldn't startle the Leviathan. The Cyclops started moving slowly, lifting off the wall sluggishly. They began ascending in the dark, gradually moving away from the river.

Jongho soon lost sight of the eyes, checking for their energy cells instead. They were rebooting just fine, having reached about twenty percent by now. As soon as that leviathan was out of sight, they would hightail out of there.

For now, he still watched out for the creature, though, pulling up all three external cameras to observe the happenings. The worm had come out of the shadows by now and was swimming lazy circles in the water. It seemed indecisive whether to attack them or not.

Jongho hated the feel of his life being toyed with. However, killing the creature was not an option, and they were already three men down. Who would have guessed that the EMP blast would also take their androids down? That was nothing they could have expected.

They were gradually ascending, sneaking away carefully in their large ship. The Ghost Leviathan followed them without attacking, just curious, as its twelve eyes stared after them. Its face embedded in the hammerhead looked cruelly blank, staring after them unseeing.

That was, until something else came into view, swishing past the leviathan quickly. Distracted, it turned, moving after the other creature.

Jongho couldn't see much in the dark of the cave with the glowing leviathan leaving. He believed to spot tentacles on a much smaller creature, however. It successfully lured the leviathan back into deeper waters. The scientist waited a bit longer, tense, but when even after a few minutes nothing resurfaced, he set the Cyclops on the highest speed.

"Thanks, fish friend. Now let's get the hell out of here," he mumbled to himself as the Cyclops rebooted and the engines started to hum louder. With a quick glance over the current damage level and oxygen production, he stepped away, going into the back. The ship would find its way by itself and if there were any danger coming up, an alarm would sound.

Jongho walked back into the infirmary where Hongjoong was sitting next to their androids that were by now strapped to the cot securely. Yeosang looked like an angel when sleeping, his face peaceful and as if carved of marble. Jongho could not help himself and ran a hand affectionately down the man's soft cheek.

"Wooyoung went to check if he can repair anything and level the oxygen issue." Hongjoong's voice was quiet and timid, sounding exhausted. Jongho suspected he didn't get much sleep these days concerning the current chaos. When he looked up empathically, he found Hongjoong slowly running his hands through his android's black hair. The team leader seemed lost in thought, his movements gentle.

"Hongjoong."

"His hair is soft, Jongho." He spoke in a hushed whisper, as if in awe and regret at the same time. He seemed oh so careful not to wake the other man, and Jongho could only guess what their relationship had been like so far.

"Yeah. Hongjoong, are you falling for him?" He just had to ask. Jongho was burning with curiosity. What exactly had they been through to change Hongjoong's opinion on androids this much? He remembered the man never even looking at Yeosang's undeniable loveliness also when Yeosang was so devoted to him.

Hongjoong quickly shook his head, hiding his eyes from view. It was too late, however, Jongho already saw the tears brimming in them.

"No, I- That's not fair. I treated him so horribly. You have no idea, Jongho... I don't have the right to ask such a thing from him." He hung his head pitifully, making Jongho purse his lips. He had seen how the android was looking at this guilty idiot. Whatever he had done, the robot had long since forgiven him.

"What's his ID? He's a protection unit you said, right?" Jongho carefully settled next to Yeosang, turning him to his side to open the compartment in the back of his neck. It slid away smoothly, the lines barely visible in his skin while Jongho pulled the user manual up. He tapped away at the hologram, listening to Hongjoong with one ear.

"His name is Seonghwa."

At that, Jongho's fingers halted. He stared at Hongjoong surprised, one brow lifting in question. He was calling him by his name?

Jongho looked down at the relaxed face of the android, then back at the way that Hongjoong cradled his head with the utmost care. He was sincere.

"I don't think you have to worry about him hating you. He seemed... fine with your proximity." Jongho shook the confusion off, returning to tapping away concentratedly. He was trying to find some sort of reboot function so their energies would balance again.

"But even then, how am I supposed to confess to him? I mean sure, suddenly everybody around us is dating their androids, so it's not that weird but how should I... He thinks like a computer, you know?"

"I don't know, just kiss him or something. Most people get that." Yeosang also did. Jongho gave a simple shrug. He scrolled through the options menu distracted, barely listening to Hongjoong's indignant squawk.

"But that's different! Androids have a difficult understanding of that! I don't want him to misunderstand and just reciprocate it because he feels obligated to."

Hongjoong was stupid.

Jongho gave him a blank stare, not falling for his nonsense. Yes, he had no idea how Seonghwa was like and what their relationship was build upon, but he did not take any android for stupid enough to do that. They were not built to be loyal dolls with no free will.

"Hongjoong, I get your worry, but there's nothing wrong with telling him. Worst that can happen is that the two of you will split up after we get back and if you don't put in special work that will happen anyway. He can help you stay together if it comes to that and that's what you want, right? So just try." This conversation was so stupid. Jongho had seen how Seonghwa had reacted to this man and there was no way he hated Hongjoong. Whether or not he was interested in an intimate relationship wasn't Jongho's business to judge, but he sure as hell would also not tell stubborn Hongjoong if he was so oblivious.

Hongjoong gnawed on his lips, his fingertips smoothing over Seonghwa's brows. He was staring at the android's lips painfully obvious.

"Just do it. You won't reach anything if you don't."

"Maybe I'll wait. I feel much too shy. Maybe when we return home?"

Jongho stared him down until the man winced.

"I get it, alright... Wooyoung is also not leaving me alone, and now you too... I'll test the waters first, though! He already has somebody he's interested in anyway."

Now that was a piece of valuable information.

"Who?" Jongho tapped at the option to send an emergency signal through Yeosang's systems, making his computers start searching for the issue. While he waited, Jongho gently massaged Yeosang's shoulder in a useless reflex.

"Captain Bang. When we met him on the Aurora Seonghwa went all puppy-eyed on him. I think rather than his bully, Seonghwa wants to be kissed by him." Hongjoong was pouting, his fingers stilling on Seonghwa's face.

Jongho rolled his eyes. As if. Yeosang had always watching Hongjoong with a certain tenderness too, and he still differentiated between him and Jongho.

"He will tell you if that's the case. He's no doll."

"Yeah. Yeah, alright. I will try it." His mumble got lost insecurely. He looked so tiny and helpless like this. Jongho nearly wanted to ruffle his hair. But rather than him doing that, they would get Seonghwa to do so. Jongho should go team up with Wooyoung.

Jongho just wanted to add something more soothing when suddenly another alarm blared through the ship, bathing it in a deep red light. Both men jumped to their feet like greased lightning, Jongho speeding out onto the bridge.

That leviathan was coming back. And it was going fast.

It seemed much too focused on them now, clearly aggressive.

Still 300 meters until the surface. It was risky, but they had no other option.

"Ditch the ship! Get back into your suits and the hell out of here! Put some life jackets on the androids!" He yelled loudly, scrambling to put on his equipment also. In the distance, the roar of the leviathan sounded, nearly surpassing their machines.

250 meters.

Jongho speeded back into the infirmary and grabbed Yeosang and San. With both of them in his arms, he ran to the hatch. Wooyoung and Hongjoong followed as soon as they had gotten the orange jacket on Seonghwa's limp body, glancing at the hull fearfully.

236 meters.

"WARNING: CRITICAL IMPACT IN 10, 9-"

"We won't be fast enough, Jongho!" It was Wooyoung's desperate cry, his eyes full of horror as Jongho scaled the ladder with San and Yeosang on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth anyway, pulling open the hatch.

"Better than getting blown up! Get out!" Jongho dived out into the open ocean. It was much lighter here than in the depths, some round stones also lighting up the water. Wooyoung and Hongjoong were right behind him, and together they kicked off desperately, dragging the androids with them.

The leviathan roared again, loud and bone-chilling. However, it followed the Cyclops, crashing right into it.

As expected, it exploded. The blast that followed pushed against their human bodies roughly, making them soar through the water. Jongho held on to the two bodies for dear life, immediately going back to swimming when he could move his trembling legs again.

Wooyoung came up too, taking San from him so they could hurry even more. They were reaching an island, the shadow of it dark in the water. Beneath them, the leviathan took the submarine apart with pained rage.

"Under the island! He can't get us between the rocks!"

Jongho was too exhausted to answer. He merely followed Hongjoong without paying much attention to his surroundings.

Indeed they made it beneath the island securely within minutes. The leviathan was still visible far away from them, but it didn't come after them. They reached some underwater lake and resurfaced in one piece.

Jongho hauled Yeosang up onto the sandy beach, ripping his breathing mask off with a groan. He allowed himself to drop down right there with his legs still in the water, sucking in the fresh air. God, he had missed this. The air and also being safe.

Hongjoong was on his back next to him, staring up into the blue sky motionlessly. Jongho weakly spoke up.

"I'll kill you if you don't kiss him after all this lousy planet put us through."

Jongho was still winded, the adrenaline racing through his veins at crazy speeds. But when a weak chuckle came from Hongjoong, he couldn't help but smile too.


	23. Last Call

Jongho was right there when Yeosang opened his pretty eyes again. He gave the confused android a dazzling smile before he moved to help him sit up. Yeosang blinked, momentarily confused, but wide awake.

"Where are we?"

Jongho looked around in the tiny base they were in - clearly not build for six people - and gave a little smile. 

"Back on the surface. You were hit by an EMP blast and out cold for a while. I let your systems do some scans and kickstarted your energies again manually. How do you feel? Everything working fine?" He pulled the android close against his body by his waist, letting him lean comfortably against Jongho's shoulder. Yeosang seemed to check his systems, searching for memories.

"Ah, I see. I remember that Squid, yes. You managed to get us out?" Yeosang hummed gently, snuggling against Jongho's side contently. Jongho pecked his forehead, smiling when Yeosang erupted in giggles. He was glad to have his soft boyfriend back. As much as seeing him sleep like a delicate princess had made Jongho's heart sing, he preferred Yeosang's calming and blue eyes he could rely on.

"I did. We got attacked again on the way up, but Hongjoong and Wooyoung gave it their best, and we managed to get back to their base. You're the first to wake up, but I already fixed the other's options too. They should be jumping and laughing again soon," Jongho smirked satisfied, playing with Yeosang's fingers as the man grabbed his hands. Yeosang gave a proud hum, listening to Jongho's heartbeat for a tender moment. Jongho swore it sped up when he saw a little smile gracing Yeosang's lips.

"You did well. So it's resting time now? We get to spend a day without hearing some leviathan roar at us?"

It sounded too good to be true. Not to be confined in such a little pod deep down on the ocean floor and without predators circling them at any time. 

Jongho felt way too smug when he gave a confident nod.

"Let's take a nice walk on the island in the morning. And later, we can get to taking those bacteria apart with Hongjoong. Now that he isn't alone anymore, we might be able to find a cure. And then we will eat something that isn't energy bars." The last part was a joy that only Jongho would get to relish in, but Yeosang agreed, all the same, getting up swiftly. He offered his hand to Jongho, and he took it, stepping out into the sun right after the other man.

He had to squint into the blinding light a bit, shadowing his eyes with his hand so he could see.

Wooyoung was leaning against a tree not far from them and staring out over the ocean. He appeared to be deeply lost in thought, his black hair wild, where it grew too long to be professional. Jongho decided it suited him.

He led Yeosang the other way, away from Wooyoung and further into the forest. It was pretty around here, the colors vibrant with life. Jongho had missed this so fucking much, and seeing Yeosang glow in the sunlight was something he never wanted to lose again. Maybe they should move to a planet. And get a little cottage and a dog. And Jongho would feed off of Yeosang sunbathing. It sounded perfect.

Now they just had to get home.

Yeosang was swinging their hands between their bodies. He had turned his head towards the warm breeze coming from the west, and his hair got tousled as the wind caressed him with appreciative fingers. 

Jongho might have been biased, but right now, bathed in sunlight and with his wild hair, Yeosang might just be the prettiest thing he had ever seen.

Jongho smiled to himself, grabbing Yeosang's hand tighter.

-

They had met up with Yunho and Mingi at noon. The two of them were the scientists that had already been infected with the bacterium years ago and used their time wisely to search for an antidote.

But with time passing, Jongho felt his heart sink more and more. There was none. Yunho and Mingi had tried every plant, every animal, every method, and still hadn't been able to stop it. They could not even slow it down, no part of this planet safer than the rest. They agreed to let Hongjoong sample their blood to put it under a microscope, but that was all they could help with. 

Jongho felt torn, looking at them. They had given up long ago.

Seonghwa had built a fabricator during the day with pieces of the equipment they had taken. The fabricator, on the other hand, allowed him to set up a few utensils for the three biologists to work. They put the yellow blood of the two men into the machine and let it do its job while they went to get some food.

Wooyoung and San had caught some fishes earlier. They had insisted on making food to do their part, and nobody managed to stop them from hunting the fish with spears like some barbarians. Yunho and Mingi were right there, ready to throw any fish at them they needed, but those two had to be childish.

Jongho understood perfectly well.

Now, he was watching Hongjoong like a hawk throughout the whole evening. The man was unusually quiet today, remarkably less so than Wooyoung and San were. Jongho suspected that he was a bit jealous not to be able to receive Seonghwa with hugs and kisses just as they did.

So Jongho waited for him to make a move.

Hongjoong, however, remained silent. He was sitting with his shoulder, and his thigh pressed to Seonghwa's as they cooked their fish over their campfire, but he didn't dare speak up to address the elephant in the room (beach).

Instead, he was content nibbling away at his fish, giving Seonghwa heart eyes whenever the man lifted a mere finger. It was amusing and frustrating at the same time. Jongho doubted that Hongjoong was aware of how he was looking at the man.

The mood was surprisingly light. Instead of keeping to themselves and drowning in worries, they managed to laugh and joke together. The central role in this played Wooyoung with San as his dedicated cheerleader. Yunho and Mingi seemed to appreciate the fun, too, even if Jongho noticed himself glancing at them warily from time to time. As they were turning into some water creatures by time, the chance that they evolved to carnivores was pretty high. Jongho wouldn't want to be too close when that shift came.

They were laughing over the most simple and stupid things. They shared stories from the space base, from the times on Aurora and even after they had arrived on the planet. Seonghwa and Hongjoong mostly held back, watching the group with the fond eyes of tired parents. Jongho appreciated it, sharing his stories and their laughter just the same.

The sun had long since set, and the night was dark around them. The water seemed treacherously peaceful, and soon Yunho and Mingi were the first ones to leave. They promised to return in the morning to help with their research and then dived under, disappearing in the lazily licking waves.

Jongho was tired. He had been switching between waking and resting for some time now, Yeosang's head under his chin forming a welcoming pillow. He opened his eyes again sluggishly, though when Seonghwa suddenly spoke up quietly.

"Message incoming. Aurora Bridge, Bang Yongguk: _This is Sunbeam. Y'know, Aurora, we're from a little trans-gov on the far side of Andromeda, and we have a saying there. There's no bad without the good, no good without the bad. Sounds like you tasted a bunch of the former, but that only means you're overdue a whole lot of the latter. Might just be we're it. We're scanning for somewhere to park as we speak, we'll be in touch when we find it. Sunbeam out."_

Jongho frowned, seeing Hongjoong pick up his head from Seonghwa's shoulder too. The man had fallen asleep there and was now blinking disoriented. Seonghwa glanced at him, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. He focused on his arm then, calling back to the ship.

"Yongguk, are you alright? It is time to pick you up if they are in close proximity by now. Surely, you can send them some coordinates and leave the ship behind then, positive?" He spoke quietly as to not disturb them in their conversation, but the talking had long since died down, everybody focusing their tired eyes on him.

Yongguk answered after another long minute. Jongho's eyes had fallen shut by then again, and sleep was beckoning him closer. He heard the message as if underwater. It sounded dull and subdued.

 _"Ah, about that... Seonghwa, I don't think that's necessary."_ His deep voice sounded scratchy as if breathing was difficult for him, and Jongho looked up again, observing. Seonghwa had frozen by now, sitting straight as a rock. 

"What do you mean by that? Yongguk, we-"

_"You knew it was going to be like that, no? You must be prepared."_

Seonghwa jumped to his feet at that, making Hongjoong land in the sand with a yelp. Jongho didn't mind him spitting out the evil little grains, focusing Seonghwa. The group was getting more awake by the second, everybody exchanging concerned gazes with each other.

"No. Yongguk. I agreed because I knew that there was no discussion at that time. But they are so close now! We can get you home, and-" Jongho could see the flame in his eyes flicker, his confidence weakening.

Jongho hadn't been there when they had met the captain, but he could imagine reasonably well what he had done. And he saw it now. The pure devastation on Seonghwa's face.

_"I know what I'm doing. I did my best to help. Now it's your time to leave. Don't look back."_

A thick silence stretched on the beach, making the humans gulp nervously. Jongho had no idea what the issue was, but he could imagine. The radiation was killing Yongguk. More slowly maybe, because of the suit, but anybody would die if they spent too much time there. It seemed he had reached the breaking point.

"Don't you dare play the martyr. We are coming to get you, and I will make sure that they save your life," Seonghwa growled back threateningly, pacing over the beach like an animal in its cage by now. Hongjoong watched them, his eyes big and panicked.

Yongguk gave a weak chuckle. _"It's far too late for that. I'm going to send the Sunbeam the coordinates of the Mountain Island. The Aurora's systems are too weak to manage, but I will tell them to search the signal of all the Lifepods and androids I have contacted so far. You will get a message to leave soon, and then you will go. Don't let my suffering be in vain like that."_

Seonghwa ran his hand through his hair, messing it up. However, before he managed to send an answer, another message already came in.

_"I'm glad I could help you out. It makes me feel better as a Captain."_

Seonghwa stayed quiet. 

Nobody dared to breathe for a moment, waiting for something, anything.

Then, Seonghwa spoke again, his voice rough.

"Yongguk?"

No answer.

"Yongguk, are you- Are you still there?" His voice broke around his words, making Jongho's heart clench in pain for him. He saw Wooyoung wipe his eyes furiously.

Tears glinted in Seonghwa's face as he cleared his throat. When he managed to speak again, he sounded choked up, his voice timid and small.

"Yongguk?"

The silence that followed was one of the worst things Jongho had ever experienced.

A long, painful moment passed, then Seonghwa dropped his arm, looking out over the ocean, lost. His eyes were on the Aurora without really seeing it, all life had disappeared from his usually so expressive face.

And then, he turned and left.

They all froze for another minute, then Hongjoong scrambled up to his feet.

"Seonghwa! Seonghwa, wait!" He disappeared in the forest, yelling the other man's name. The hurt in his voice was tangible, making Jongho wince.

Yeosang snuggled into his arms again, hiding his face in Jongho's chest. Jongho held him, using him as an anchor to keep his own tears at bay.

Wooyoung and San cried quietly.


	24. Finding Treasure

"Seonghwa! Wait for me now, will you- ouch!" Hongjoong grabbed his arm with a hiss when the bark of some tree roughly scratched it. With a withering glare at the plant, he hurried after Seonghwa, stumbling through the forest like a duck on ice. 

He wouldn't let Seonghwa walk away on him just like that. This was not how their dynamic worked.

"Seonghwa!" The android was hard to spot in the dark with his dark hair and dark suit. Hongjoong cursed his incompetence, speeding up more. With frantic looks left and right, he tried to spot the android.

"Don't run off like that! Talk to me, I'm here!"

The forest was silent, only some birds tweeting at him mockingly. 

"Goddamn it..." Hongjoong slowed down when he finally accepted his defeat. For a long moment, he stood in the forest uselessly. Then he sighed. What did he even plan on doing? Tell him everything would be alright? Pretend he didn't know of his feelings towards Yongguk? Fucking naive. 

With an angry huff, he turned, planning to go right back where he had come from. However, leaning against the tree right behind him, there was Seonghwa. Hongjoong came to an abrupt halt, glancing the man up and down. He was hiding his eyes behind his arm and had tipped his head back against the trunk of the tree. Different from a human, his body didn't shake with sobs. His tears dripped down his chin silently.

Hongjoong's heart lurched in his chest.

"Oh. Oh, Hwa."

When the android spoke, it was no more than a mere whisper, dust of wind over a leaf.

"Sorry for running off like that. I will be right back with you."

Hongjoong stepped closer wordlessly, enveloping the man in a hug. He pulled him off the tree and into his body, holding his slender waist. Seonghwa stumbled into him without resistance, sinking against Hongjoong's body a tad too smoothly.

"Shh, I didn't come to bring you back. I came to hold you." He allowed Seonghwa to bury his face in Hongjoong's neck, becoming all the smaller. Hongjoong felt his puls hammer away from the closeness of the other but still held him tightly. His fingers rubbed mindless circles in Seonghwa's back.

"That's- That's oddly nice of you."

Hongjoong was a bit hurt at the surprise in the man's voice.

With a pout, he turned his face towards Seonghwa, frowning down at him. He didn't comment though, merely knocking his temple gently against Seonghwa's head. He rested them together, calling Seonghwa an idiot in his mind only. And even there, it sounded endeared.

"Of course. I know I can't offer any real condolences, but I can still be here and do this. It's quite easy," Hongjoong hummed gently. Before he could stop himself, he had already pressed a little kiss against the shell of Seonghwa's ear. Hongjoong froze up when he realized what he had just done and then quickly relaxed again to play it cool. He could brush it off as an accident.

Seonghwa didn't comment on it, either way, merely sniffling into Hongjoong's shoulder quietly. Hongjoong still felt his gratefulness seep into his body, filling him with satisfaction. It felt good holding Seonghwa like this. He finally felt as if he could give some of all the care back. Hongjoong allowed himself to lean against the other, burying his face in soft black curls.

For a long time, they just stood like that. Seonghwa's tears dried out after what felt like hours when, in reality, it couldn't be that long. Hongjoong didn't mind either way. He allowed them to support each other's weight, closing his eyes to concentrate on the feel of Seonghwa's body against his in the dark night.

The man felt soft and sturdy at the same time, a soothing presence.

Hongjoong nearly forgot to mourn Yongguk. He was too distracted by holding Seonghwa and keeping himself in check so he wouldn't start to let his hands wander. Yongguk had died, and while that made a deep sadness settle in Hongjoong's heart, he also understood. Yongguk had made that decision long ago when they had gone to visit him on that ship.

And Seonghwa had known it all along.

Hongjoong startled when suddenly a big drop landed on the crown of his head. Wetly, it slid down over his cheek. 

The scientist moved in Seonghwa's tight hold, craning his head back so he could blink up at the nightly sky. Right, he had seen no stars earlier. It seemed like rain was coming. And from how the air felt it was coming hard.

"Hwa. Let's go back."

Seonghwa gave a throaty chuckle, nuzzling down into Hongjoong's neck. Both of them pretended his body didn't jolt at that as if electrified. Seonghwa didn't move back, however.

"How surprising. Have you become aquaphobic?"

Hongjoong gently pinched his waist, making Seonghwa giggle. Not as if the android could feel any pain. He still pressed closer to Hongjoong, copied the gesture of avoiding another attack. The butterflies in Hongjoong's stomach surged at their proximity.

Hongjoong had to step back in order to balance their newly shifted weight and felt two more drops hit his head. He just wanted to look back up and try to see if he could detect the moons somewhere when his back suddenly hit the trunk of some tree. He gave a confused noise, trying to apologize to Seonghwa, who was still in his arms.

However, as he wanted to speak, he found Seonghwa lifting his head to glance down at him, their eyes meeting. Every thought escaped Hongjoong at once. His eyes dropped to Seonghwa's lips when the man spoke, his features barely visible in the faintly lit forest. His eyes seemed to glow.

"Did that hurt? Are you alright?"

Everything felt delayed and as if Hongjoong was trying to walk through a swamp. His lips seemed to move even slower than his thoughts. 

"Uh, yeah. No- It didn't hurt! I'm alright!" Hongjoong smiled, confused with the mess he had become. His mind was keenly aware of their current position, how Seonghwa pressed him back against the tree.

"You are an eccedentesiast. You keep doing that."

Hongjoong still felt Seonghwa's solid back under his fingers and even more so the man's gentle touch on his waist. His hands spread out nicely over Hongjoong's naked waist, not shy to touch by now. Hongjoong was too damn distracted.

"And what is that supposed to be?" He gave a nervous chuckle, wanting Seonghwa to press their chests together too.

More drops began to fall, the rain quickly settling into a constant downpour. 

"A person who hides their pain behind a smile. Someone who doesn't want people to know what they really feel on the inside, because they are truly afraid of what others will think of them. The word derived from Latin ecce, 'I present to you,' dentes, 'teeth,' and –iast, 'performer. ' An eccedentesiast is, therefore, someone who "performs by showing teeth," or smiling."

Hongjoong felt his hair get wet, some drops escaping the strands to run down his chin. Seonghwa was still so close, was still rambling without any plans to stop.

"It's a fairly new word and different from other Latin words that are ancient. But as the existence of this word suggests a close relation to agathokakological thinking, psychologists-"

Hongjoong leaned forward and kissed him.

It lasted only a second, a single shy brush of lips against lips before he moved back already. However, it made Seonghwa shut up, and Hongjoong's body tingle all over with exhilaration. He felt his face grow hot when blood rushed into it.

There was no backing out now. He could do this.

Hongjoong took a shuddering breath, subconsciously licking his lips.

Seonghwa noticed - of course, he did - and the air seemed to grow even heavier with tension. The rain splattered down on them warmly. Hongjoong tasted it on his lips when it ran down his face.

Seonghwa pushed his hair back, gentle curls disappearing in favor of showing his dark brows. Hongjoong was glad that he didn't see much as his heart was racing with nervousness even now. There was no question that Seonghwa was listening to it intently.

"Performing self-scan. Bacterial infection has spread to the skin and pulmonary system. It is imperative we find a way to neutralize the infection."

Huh?

Hongjoong tilted his head confusedly, watching Seonghwa in the dark. Was now the time to talk about bacteria?

"Bulbo Trees are short trees with holes in their thick, rounded trunk. A viscous, fluid leaks from these holes. The trunk resembles bamboo shoots, until breaking up into green and blue foliage further up the tree. It is a bulb-based flora rooted to the ground, and that sprouts turquoise leaves. Analysis suggests the sap produced by this plant is poisonous to insects but can be harvested and consumed by humans for its high water content," Seonghwa kept talking, his voice oddly spaced out and robotic. It was missing it's usual humorous tone.

Did Hongjoong just... break him?

"Seonghwa, you-"

"The Chinese potato is common throughout the China Territories, where synthetic foods are still stigmatized, and there remain large tracts of arable land on which to grow fresh produce. Genetically designed prior to the Expansion, this plant is highly adaptable to different environments, and a staple of new colonies galaxy-wide. It-"

Helpless, Hongjoong grabbed him by his collar, pulling him down in a kiss again. This one lasted longer, both of them staying in that position for a moment. Hongjoong didn't dare move his lips, afraid of making Seonghwa shut down completely.

And shy. He also was too shy.

When Seonghwa didn't move again, Hongjoong pulled back, blinking the rain out of his lashes to peek at the man curiously. The rain made the earth assume a rich scent that tickled Hongjoong's nose, and nervously, he grabbed onto Seonghwa's back more tightly, heating the patch of his body up where his hands had settled.

Seonghwa's lips were soft. Unfairly so.

Some seconds passed, making Hongjoong wonder if this status of silence or the prior rambling were better. What if Seonghwa got some sort of error from this? Could Jongho fix him again? How the hell would he explain that to him?

Or maybe he was fine but didn't know how to tell Hongjoong off? He might have not liked him at the end. Or maybe his timing was bad? After all, it was a tense moment.

Hongjoong silently cursed himself, moving one of his hands up to push his hair back. Seonghwa jolted at that, making Hongjoong freeze in the middle of his movement.

"Seonghwa?"

And then the tables turned.

Suddenly it was Seonghwa kissing _him_ , melting their mouths together with such affection that Hongjoong nearly choked from it. His hands scrambled over Seonghwa's back, his shoulders, and finally found purchase on his neck. The position dwarfed him even more, Seonghwa kissing down on him powerfully and making Hongjoong's head spin with the intensity of it all.

A little whine left Hongjoong's lips when Seonghwa pressed Hongjoong's body close to his own, his lips moving purposefully against Hongjoong's. Their kiss was wet from the rain but not cold. Rather, it seemed warm and full of affection. Much more affection than Hongjoong had expected.

It was much too easy to get lost in it, the world forgotten. They fell into the sensation deeply and with no turning back.

However, Hongjoong had to pull away somewhen to breathe, letting his head sink back against the tree with his chest rising rapidly. He closed his eyes in bliss, feeling the rain pour down on it like a hundred more kisses.

Then, Seonghwa's lips were back, brushing all over Hongjoong's face. He kissed the drops of water off, leaving a trail of little kisses in his wake. Hongjoong was weak for him, his insides going crazy to the extent of his knees nearly buckling.

But Seonghwa was still holding him around his waist, towering over Hongjoong as a soothing presence.

Hongjoong wanted to kiss him again, so he did. A whisper of Seonghwa's name escaped his lips before they found each other again in the dark, their mouths moving in that ancient dance.

Kissing Seonghwa felt like an otherworldly experience. His lips were like the softest pillows that Hongjoong just wanted to rest his own lips upon, and his sweet kisses like an addicting candy. Seonghwa kissed as if he wanted them to melt into one. He kissed full of emotion and dedication.

Seonghwa kissed like a human.


	25. Mountain Island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might have noticed that I changed the rating. I did this because I thought about writing explicit smut until now, but decided against it, because of the character of their relationship. I hope none of you are too disappointed ^^  
> If you think that it might still be explicit because of the violence and deaths in this book, please leave me a comment!

_"Aurora, we're approaching the planet now, and we have a landing site for you that's... well, it's better than the alternatives. We've sent you the coordinates. It'll take us a couple of days to align our orbit, we should be able to establish direct contact with you during that time, then we're coming in to get you. Cross your fingers the weather holds, and don't leave us waiting. Sunbeam out."_

Hongjoong pushed his goggles off with a sigh, turning to watch Seonghwa. His eyes had zoned out and were lost in an unknown distance. While Hongjoong was filled with glee about finally being able to go home, seeing Seonghwa sad like this also made his heart constrict.

With quick movements, he snapped his gloves off, laying them down to where he had just been examining Yunho's blood. They were getting data, collecting, and broadening their knowledge rapidly. However, they neither had the time nor the understanding to search for an antidote. If the Sunbeam was this close already, then they'd have to research at home further.

It had only been three weeks, and still, it felt as if an eternity had passed on this planet. Hongjoong was more than ready to leave this hellish place behind and forget about it as soon as possible.

He rounded the table to close any containers with important substances they had accumulated from the fishes and plants around here. Some of them were also infected with the bacterium, and it had different effects on them than on humans. They hadn't been able to make any prognoses yet, but seeing as Yunho and Mingi still had some human parts on them, it took a long time to take over a whole organism.

Hongjoong struck up a conversation while he was cleaning up.

"We can retrieve Yongguk if you want. There should be enough time." He cleared his throat, the words getting stuck inside. He still had trouble getting behind the relationship of the captain and Seonghwa and feared to jump to conclusions. It didn't seem to him like it was romantic feelings that Seonghwa harbored for the man. He wouldn't have kissed Hongjoong if it was.

The memory of their kiss in the rain made a blush dust Hongjoong's cheeks. He had barely slept the night after, a big grin breaking out on his face at the most random of times. Maybe he was crushing a little.

"There is not. I also do not wish to endanger the group again by returning to that place." Seonghwa's velvety voice had a dissatisfied tint. He didn't like those words himself.

"I get it. But obviously, he meant a lot to you, so... I don't know, it seems fair."

"Yongguk was for many years the only person I knew."

Hongjoong lifted his head at the sudden revelation. He met Seonghwa's bright eyes with curiosity.

"I figured that he was the person you were focused on because he was the captain." Hongjoong leaned back against the table behind his body. His arms came up to cross calmly in front of his spotted and greenish chest as he listened to Seonghwa. The android was leaning against the wall with his left shoulder, opposite of him in their tiny base.

"Of course, he was my superior in that sense. But, as you should know, Yongguk was also a very admirable person by himself. He checked up on the locked androids regularly. Not out of duty but because he wanted to spend time with them. I have to confess that I looked forward to his visits very much."

Hongjoong wasn't jealous. Sad, rather. He consistently underestimated how lonely Seonghwa had been until the ship had crashed. Locked up in a closet all day. Anybody would fall for the one person looking out for them.

"It's normal. I can't say I'd have done anything else." Hongjoong at least had a life to live. While he had always been constricted to his job and limited working surroundings, he at least made the conscious decision to do so. He submitted himself to a life without friends and family by himself, because he wanted to discover the hidden secrets of the universe.

Being an android was hard. They were build to serve a purpose, but their conscience made it hard to do so.

"I guess he felt like family. Like a person that would listen to me. I never grew tired of him." Seonghwa averted his gaze with furrowed brows. Hongjoong couldn't blame him.

Hongjoong pushed off the desk and stepped over to Seonghwa. He gently rubbed the android's tensed arms, his touch warm. Seonghwa gave a little relieved hum, looking back to Hongjoong.

"Your memories of him will serve as a nice base for creating either holograms or maybe other androids. He'll appreciate it."

"Negative. It is the reason I do not want to retrieve him. He told me once that he doesn't want to be re-created after his death. He made sure they will leave his mind to rest."

Hongjoong frowned.

"But why? Why would anybody like to die completely?" More than his death, this news upset Hongjoong even more. Yongguk didn't plan to return at all. So Seonghwa wouldn't ever get to talk to him again. That seemed plain cruel to Hongjoong.

"Do not be mad. It was his decision. I fear we do not understand his mindset in that area." Seonghwa reached up to ruffle Hongjoong's hair affectionally. His sad eyes looked down at the human fondly, making Hongjoong swallow harshly.

"That's rude of him... He made you know all the time." Hongjoong's grumble was accompanied by his hands forming into tiny fists of fury at his sides. He was mad not because of Yongguk's decision but of the cruelty of the world that made him and Seonghwa part like that.

Seonghwa received his anger with a chuckle before reaching out to cup Hongjoong's chin with his slender hand. He angled his head upwards, dipping down to press a sweet kiss against Hongjoong's lips then.

Hongjoong blushed a deep shape of red, not yet used to the affection of the android. It was also day now, the bright sun outside making them seem all the more exposed. Hongjoong let himself fall into it anyway, too stubborn to back down now. He finally cleared things up with Seonghwa, showed him his emotions, so he wouldn't stop it now.

"It is alright. I will miss him, but I am perfectly able to move on. Do not worry your pretty head about it." Another kiss touched Hongjoong's mouth. "Let us prepare our departure now. It is time to go home."

-

They had been swimming for ages.

Hongjoong was taking a break right now, hanging on to Seonghwa's shoulders with weak and trembling arms. He had clearly overexerted himself, and as it looked Wooyoung and Jongho were none the better. All of them were growing impatient and tired.

The coordinates the Sunbeam had sent them were on the other island, a good 2 miles away from them. Hongjoong's swimming had improved considerably in the time they had spent on Planet 4546B, but he was still no expert by any means. Long distances tired him still, and paired with his constant wariness of the waters around him, he was also more tense than usual.

Their androids did a great job at dragging them along, though. Yunho and Mingi were also always flanking the group and leading them to the other island through the safest route. Before they had taken off, Yunho had already explained to them that the Mountain Island was surrounded by all kinds of dangers. Choosing it as the place for their rendezvous with the Sunbeam might cost even more lives of the few survivors. 

They were careful when approaching the island. According to the Sunbeam, it would be another half an hour before they would arrive, so they expected to meet some other survivors on the island. They also wanted to utilize their time wisely and say goodbye to Yunho and Mingi first. Of course, they wouldn't be able to take them, but those two were also fine with that. They were used to this planet after all this time.

Hongjoong had asked Yunho about it earlier. Whether they should come back with the means to get them or if they wanted to contact them sometimes. But Yunho had merely shown him a fanged smile, his eyes glowing eerily.

"Hongjoong, my friend, by the time you get home, there is nothing human anymore about the two of us. We didn't eat you because of the androids when we first met, and we'd rather die than get subjected to research. You go home and get cured. It's much too late for us."

And it was. Mingi had again looked at Hongjoong as if he was a piece of meat he wanted to devour. With an icy shiver running down his back, Hongjoong had agreed. Maybe it would be best for the two of them if they just stayed here. They were powerful enough to survive against many predators by now.

The island had been close for a while now, and they would probably take another ten minutes of swimming until they could climb the shore when they heard it.

The unmistakable roar of a Reaper Leviathan.

Hongjoong would so go into therapy after all these shenanigans.

"Come on, final spurt." Seonghwa threw an uplifting smile over his shoulder, making Hongjoong sigh. Stupid, pretty android, and his ways of making Hongjoong's heart flutter.

They were right at the water surface, usually much higher than where Hongjoong would expect an attack from such a large animal. Yunho and Mingi were pulling them along, having grabbed onto Jongho and Wooyoung on their free sides, so it was only Seonghwa and Hongjoong backing them up.

They were so close. So fucking close to the island, to being safe, to going home.

And then the leviathan broke the water surface.

The moment passed much too fast for Hongjoong to register. Everything happened in a blur of color and shocked screams. He saw a flash of red and white, four black eyes, and a gigantic mouth.

And in the next moment, his blood was seeping into the water, making Mingi turn to him with a hiss.

They had been so close when suddenly, everything fell apart.

Mingi lunged at him much faster than anybody could account for, enveloping Hongjoong's body with his arms and tentacles all the same. Hongjoong gave a surprised yelp, his shoulder flaming with pain where he had been hit, and the shock slowing his defense mechanism down.

Mingi was so much bigger and stronger than him. He wrestled Hongjoong's futile tries to free himself down much too easily, pressing him against his scaly body in a crushing hold. Hongjoong could barely move, his senses all over the place, and his body restricted by the man's suctioning tentacles.

Mingi didn't even look at him. There was nothing human left in his eyes. The blood frenzy had taken him over, and Hongjoong couldn't even be mad when the man dug his vicious teeth in his throat.

Hongjoong was probably crying out. It hurt, his equipment was close to slipping off, he still heard that leviathan.

But there was a much more pressing matter filling his mind. Seonghwa had disappeared from his side, and he had yet to come to save him.

In the end, it was Yunho, who came to his rescue. He ripped Mingi away from him roughly and pushed him off. The two of them were wrapped into what looked like a deathly hug as they tumbled down into the ocean, leaving a weakened and disoriented Hongjoong behind.

He wanted to swim, but his arm would not respond to him. There was a Reaper somewhere here, and Seonghwa was gone, and Hongjoong had lost all sense of direction. His head was a jumbled mess until Yeosang and San finally approached him, dragging him out of the water with them. His two fellow humans sat at the beach already, reaching out to hoist him up panicked, but there was no Seonghwa.

Where the hell was Seonghwa?

Hongjoong wanted to speak, but there was blood choking him up. First, they had to take care of his injuries. He still looked over the still waters regularly, searching, needing. The worry made his insides sick, making him feel like vomiting, but there was no Seonghwa.

He had disappeared with the monster.


	26. The Sunbeam

Hongjoong could be glad that medical help had been right there when he was hurt, but he still felt unwell when the Sunbeam appeared on the sky minutes later. He was leaning heavily in Wooyoung's arms, his lids fluttering as he strained to stay awake. His pain had been numbed, but the meds were trying to pull him into the sweet blackness of sleep.

But Hongjoong wouldn't succumb. Not when Seonghwa was still out there, not when San was searching for him. He had to watch the ocean, had to wait for them to break through the masses of water. He would be ready to welcome them back anytime.

He felt no panic, at least. Instead of nearly bursting with anxiety and running into the water foolishly, his heart rate was much too calm due to his medicaments. He felt like a corpse in Wooyoung's hold; the man had grabbed onto Hongjoong tightly to quench his own worry.

Usually, that would have made Hongjoong even more nervous. Wooyoung was the type to stay positive and calm in any situation, truly a master of his chi. But now he was all over the place with fear for San. Maybe all of them would have made foolish decisions if not for the large ship approaching in the sky.

Not soon after they had first spotted it, another message came in. Yeosang announced it to them while Hongjoong only listened with one ear.

Come back, Seonghwa.

_"Survivor, we see you! Man, I don't know how you held out down there. We've broken atmosphere, and we're descending towards the landing site. It seems like not many of you made it. We can still wait a bit, but time is a bit tight. Sending out the last call to come, we leave in two hours, and you gotta wait for Alterra to send another ship then."_

Yeosang shut up again after relaying the message and stood to glance up into the sky. The Sunbeam was visible entirely by now, slowing down in their descend to land. They created some mighty wind until they finally settled down, hovering just over the water surface. It sent ripples out over the water; the newcomers were unsuspecting of just what might be watching them from the depths.

Hongjoong could barely believe the sight. If felt too good to be true, like a fata morgana due to feverish dreams. He hadn't expected to be able to leave anymore.

A single ramp descended, and Hongjoong felt the first tears wet his cheeks when a group of people emerged. There were six of them, and they all came with androids that immediately swarmed out over the island to collect all survivors.

They would leave this place. They would finally go home. But Seonghwa...

A man with dark hair came jogging over to their group, which was the nearest (and probably largest). Hongjoong furiously wiped his eyes as he neared, trying to battle out his worry with the endless relief. Again, he nearly passed out.

"Congratulations, survivors! I'm so glad to bring you home! I'm Jackson, the Communication Officer of the Sunbeam! Does anybody here need first aid?" He was human, his face filled with happiness even when his worried gaze fell on Hongjoong. He stepped closer then, wanting to help.

Yeosang quickly thrust his hand out, keeping him at arm's length away.

"Don't approach them further. This planet is contaminated with foreign bacteria, every human is infected. No need to get it too."

"Oh, I see, alright!" He tapped his in-ears, quickly telling the rest of his crew. Hongjoong stared at him in wonder, not believing the efficiency. They would truly leave.

"We'll set up an isolated space for you then. Alterra will make sure to cure everybody, we will send them all the data as soon as we have boarded." He gave their group a reassuring smile that Hongjoong could barely appreciate.

Seonghwa, please. Please come back already.

"Send some androids over to take care of them." With that, Jackson tapped the device again, turning back to them fully.

"I can't believe you managed to survive in such a big group. Alterra will send another ship to collect any remains of the deceased and important data soon. If there are still survivors hiding somewhere by then, we will find them with suitable technologies. We're only some trading ship, right?" He winked at them, motioning them to stand up then. They did, helping each other onto shaking legs. Hongjoong clung to Wooyoung.

"Alright, let's go. We already cooked up a nice meal for you. Thank God the idea of fish was rejected. There's also loads of alcohol if you need it." He kept rambling, not noticing the tense silence of the group. Hongjoong spoke up about it finally.

"We are still missing somebody. Our friend searches for him, but it might take some time. Please let us wait here a little longer.", he murmured weakly, swaying precariously in Wooyoung's hold. The scientist worriedly pawed at his back, balancing him against his shoulder so Hongjoong wouldn't strain the mess that his right shoulder had become.

Jackson frowned concernedly.

"Oh, you lost somebody on the way? We got some big sensors; maybe we can pick his signal up."

"No, it's... We were attacked..."

"He's an android.", Jongho supplied helpfully, and Jackson's face brightened with understanding.

"Ah, I see! That's no problem then! Tell me his ID, and I will make sure another one waits for you at the station ready to go."

Hongjoong hastily shook his head, pulling at his bandages. Wooyoung gave a warning yelp.

"No! I need exactly that one!" Hongjoong was growing frustrated with the conversation, there was still no trace of Seonghwa, and his need to leave was battling his want to stay. 

Some sort of understanding settled in Jackson's eyes, his posture becoming increasingly softer.

"I will send out a drone then. It can collect his data, and we can copy it perfectly, no worries. However, we don't have the time to search for androids."

That wasn't what Hongjoong wanted! How could he explain that he needed his Seonghwa, his only and no copy? It was not the same!

"If we could just wait a bit-" Wooyoung was interrupted in his attempts by a firm shake of Jackson's head.

"No, sorry. This guy here needs medical attendance right now. The rest of you look close to collapsing too. We will take all androids that are present right now, but we won't go around and search for more. That drone is the only help I can offer." He sounded apologizing indeed, but that didn't stop Hongjoong's anger. He wouldn't leave without his Seonghwa! Exactly that one and no copy.

In a foolish movement, he stepped away from Wooyoung, only to collapse right into the sand. The edges of his vision were blurring. Everything was getting too much for him to endure.

Yeosang picked him up again, and Hongjoong heard them heatedly discussing with Jackson in his stead. He couldn't stay awake to listen to the end of it. He sure appreciated his friends, though.

-

Hongjoong felt better when he awoke next time. He must have been out for a while, probably drugged so he would stay asleep because when he rose, the pain in his shoulder had already disappeared completely. Instead of pain, he just felt hungry, his stomach gurgling with need.

He said up carefully, looking around the room they were in. It seemed to have functioned as some storeroom before they had arrived. Some crates and bags were pushed in a corner to accommodate the survivors of planet 4546B. 

Hongjoong counted eleven make-shift beds. Three androids were going around and checking on the mostly sleeping humans. When Hongjoong sat up, Yeosang had already turned to him and was coming closer quickly.

"What happened?" Hongjoong asked in a whisper, looking around attentively. He didn't want to wake anybody up. 

"We took off already. You have been asleep for nearly three days. We will reach the facility soon. How do you feel?" Yeosang copied his hushed tone, standing close to him so they could hear each other.

"Where is Seonghwa? San?"

Yeosang glanced around, his eyes straying over Wooyoung in the bed next to Hongjoong's. The man looked tired even in sleep, his face contorted in a grimace, and deep shadows had settled under his eyes. He was frowning as if it had been etched into his face, and it made Hongjoong's stomach sink further.

"San is around here. I met him yesterday, but they are getting him to help with data because there are enough people around here to take care of the infected. Seonghwa is... more of a problem."

Hongjoong felt his heart clench, his hands reaching out to clutch at Yeosang's arm desperately. The man took it smoothly, covering Hongjoong's hands with his.

"Did they ditch him? What about Yunho and Mingi, what-"

"Shh. It's alright, it's not your load alone. San came back with uhh- Seonghwa. He didn't say anything about Mingi and Yunho, but I guess they went back where they came from. It was wise not to get too close to them." Yeosang's eyes flickered through the room, avoiding Hongjoong.

The poor human felt close to bursting.

"Tell me! What's wrong with Hwa?! Is he alive?!" He yelled, immediately quieting down after. His chest was heaving, his fingers digging into Yeosang's arm in a way that would have been painful if he were able to feel.

"He didn't make it."

Hongjoong slumped back, dropping against his pillows lifelessly. Rather than a chaos of emotions, now there was a deep emptiness punched inside of his chest, devoid of any feeling.

Seonghwa was dead.

"Don't. San managed to retrieve most of him, also his database. It's as Jackson said. They might put it in another PSH 22 model and revive him. He's not lost. Just gone for a while," Yeosang quickly continued to explain. He seemed desperate to tell Hongjoong the truth and regretful that he did at the same time.

Hongjoong couldn't blame him.

"I don't want that. Can't they repair him? Is there no chance?" He was aware that he was acting like a stubborn child, but his heart felt wronged at the thought of another Seonghwa. That was not his own.

"I'm not sure. It depends on how much San managed to get; I didn't see. But Hongjoong... they probably won't dwell on repairing androids after the disaster of the Aurora. They will be busy with curing you and saving people's lives. Androids are exchangeable."

God, how that thought hurt. Hongjoong knew that it was exactly his way of thinking some weeks ago. That androids didn't matter, that humans were more important than them. But right now, he would gladly ditch a group of humans to get Seonghwa back. It was not the same to use the same model.

Hongjoong fell quiet after that, brooding over his thoughts. He would have to find a way to save Seonghwa. Anything.

"You're hungry. I will get you some food. Here, also take this. There are some forms for you to fill out. Be prepared for a lot of them." Yeosang sighed when he noticed the shift in the mood, turning to the door after he dropped a tablet into Hongjoong's lap. He gently patted Jongho's foot when he passed him, the man awake and in the middle of reading something. Jongho gave a forced smile, concentrating again then.

Hongjoong merely stared at the room, at their isolation, and waited. His head was empty. He couldn't come up with a single reason why they had to save Seonghwa and him especially. There were many more pressing matters to attend.

He blankly ate when Yeosang returned with his food. Then, he went on a walk through the room while Yeosang held him up, making a round to see the survivors. Lydia was not one of them. The only face Hongjoong recognized was that of Jimin, a man working together with Wooyoung in physics. They all showed the same symptoms of the infection, and some of them were willing to indulge in a little talk with Hongjoong. After exchanging some information and well-wishes, Hongjoong returned to his bed.

He was wide awake, but he had nothing to do.

In the end, he settled for a board game, playing with Jongho and Yeosang without actually having any fun with it. The other two gave their best not to trigger him further, staying away from each other.

Hongjoong barely noticed their efforts.

He just wanted Seonghwa to come back.


	27. Space Colony

It didn't take the Sunbeam long to bring them back to their colony. Hongjoong by now knew the whole story of Jongho and Yeosang in their Lifepod in detail, and the joke of them having played Battleship most of their time had long since lost its fun. Wooyoung had met San again too, the android having been sent back to their station after successfully having annoyed everybody until they would let him go.

In the end, all of them were happy again, except for Hongjoong. There was no news about Seonghwa, and of course, it was also not the primary concern right now. They were still infected, still had no cure, and were the sole survivors of three weeks on a foreign planet. A storm was coming, and Hongjoong felt too weak to face it on his own. He wanted to have Seonghwa by his side.

Hongjoong spent his days curled up in his bed, sulking. He filled out all the forms they asked him for, and he also made a show of showing his displeasure towards the people approaching him with scientific questions. Fuck science. He wanted Seonghwa back. His feelings were more important than their stupid research.

However, the crew of the Sunbeam wasn't responsible for further procedures.

So when they arrived back at their colony and were led through a narrow corridor into another isolation block, Hongjoong's spite blossomed with new hope.

He would do it the San way. He would annoy his way out of this.

The block they were brought to was much more accommodative than the Sunbeam's storage room. There was actual medical staff here - androids only - who immediately moved to separate them from their androids. Wooyoung was holding onto San's arm while he yelled at them to come at him, he'd take them all down before he would move away from his lover.

So, in the end, Yeosang and San were allowed to stay.

After some tests, they had a video call with the chief director of the colony. His name was Eden, and Hongjoong had met him under ceremonial circumstances before. Eden wanted to visit them as soon as possible, so he put great importance on their recovery. The data they had collected easily made financial support flow in so that they were the main topic of gossip on the colony quite fast.

The Sunbeam left them three days later with a big reward to go back to their work satisfied.

And Hongjoong nearly bored himself to death.

He was helping in searching for a cure for the bacterium, but he only did it because he had nothing better to do. Without work, he would spend hours looking into an uncertain distance with empty eyes. He didn't feel horribly heartbroken or lonely without Seonghwa, but his protectiveness called him out for making sure the man came back. He wanted Seonghwa to return to a nicer life, without any walls between him and other people and with a purpose. He wanted to show Seonghwa that to him, he wasn't some mere machine.

This much, he owed Seonghwa. As an apology for all the horrible treatment, he had put the other through.

It took them two weeks to find an antidote. The main factor helping them had been Yunho's and Mingi's blood donations. Hongjoong was one of the first people to get the injections, and while healing would take some time, he saw the differences immediately. His green blotches would get smaller, his skin less itchy.

In the evening, he sent out a prayer of thanks to their two friends.

Eden called them again after they had all been injected with the cure. Their healing time would be around two weeks, and Eden was burning with his need to meet them.

_"I'm proud of every single one of you. You did so well in surviving, showing once again how capable our race still is. I will make sure to utilize your data wisely. In the future, we might send other teams out to the planet to battle the bacterium and see if we can set up a colony there. You created a huge outlet, my friends."_

Hongjoong didn't care. So what? The androids did most of the work. Hongjoong would be very dead without Seonghwa. He was still salty about it.

Another few days passed with Hongjoong mechanically monitoring his regeneration and filling out more forms.

It was two days before they would be released into the storm of media coverage and research questions when Eden called again. But this time, he called Hongjoong only.

Hongjoong hid away in some corner to take the call in peace, pushing his overgrown hair back to look at least halfway acceptable. Not that Eden cared.

 _"Kim Hongjoong. How are you?_ " Eden was no old man. He was about 15 years older than Hongjoong himself. Old enough to be leading a colony. Young enough to not completely lose his touch. Hongjoong respected him like he had Yongguk. Those two had been close.

"Better. In two days, I can finally go home," Hongjoong answered monotonously. It was his go-to answer, telling people what they already knew so they would back off.

Not Eden.

_"You did well. On the island, and also here. I'm proud to have men like you working for us."_

Hongjoong hummed, basically looking into the air in front of the hologram. Focusing made him get a headache.

 _"I've been told that you were pretty easy to work with but objected when asked about your stay and what you achieved on planet 4546B. Care to elaborate?_ " Eden wouldn't stop asking, so in the end, Hongjoong decided to tell him. Having been split from Seonghwa anyway was already as bad as it could get.

"I had lots of help from a PSH 22 unit. However, he broke down on our escape. We managed to regain his data - the one you are meddling with right now - but not himself. I want him back, but I know all too well that the androids don't have enough importance in our society for that to happen." He said it bitterly, directing his anger at himself.

Eden gave a thoughtful hum.

_"Yongguk had a similar way of thinking. I figured you might be the same after hearing about the commotions of your team and their androids."_

"Why are you telling me this?"

Eden hummed deeply.

_"I quite respect that very human notion. Let's meet in two days and discuss it over some snacks. I'm sure it will be an interesting conversation."_

Hongjoong didn't exactly have the energy to discuss androids with Eden, but he would not throw a fit. Instead, he agreed simply. Monday would be a mess anyway. Might as well sneak away with the excuse of having to go talk to Eden.

Eden ended the call there. Maybe he ran out of time, perhaps he understood that Hongjoong wanted to be left alone. So Hongjoong simply put his tablet aside and went to curl up again.

He wanted to think about Seonghwa in peace. He felt quite lonely without the constant supply of useless information from the man. As annoying as it had been at times, it at least made him aware that there was somebody at his side, somebody talking to him. Now it was just him and this bed in the isolation room.

Hongjoong gave a huff, closing his eyes as if that would bring the android back. It did, in a sense. Hongjoong let his memories take him back to planet 4546B, back to the Floating Island. Being back here, all of the happenings seemed unreal. Like a feverish dream, sliding into a far distance.

However, the reminder of how Seonghwa's lips had felt against Hongjoong's seemed vivid.

Hongjoong could recall exactly how soft and gentle his kisses had been. The adoration in them, making him guess that Seonghwa had liked him for quite some time even before Hongjoong came around.

It made him feel even worse about his constant ignorance, but at the same time, it made his heart sing with glee.

Hongjoong remembered Seonghwa's hands on his hips, still felt it like they had burned imprints into his skin. When he reached down to sling his arms around himself to copy the feeling, his hands seemed much too small, much less elegant than Seonghwa's fingers.

With a frustrated groan, Hongjoong pulled his knees up, hugging them close for warmth. Just why did he feel so incredibly lonely? What was it about the android being more comfortable to be around than his other friends?

Hongjoong sighed into his pillow, trying to will himself to sleep. It was not like he had anything else to do.

When he finally did sleep, he was restless. He was tossing and turning, sometimes waking up from people calling him out for his noise. He could only growl back at them. He didn't want it to be like this either.

-

Monday came with Eden's arrival right in the morning. Hongjoong was still busy with putting the formal clothes on that had been brought for him, when the man already barged in with a grand gesture.

"Oh, dear, this is going to be so much fun. Everything outside is swarmed with cameras and media bots. If there's anybody particularly sensitive here, they should maybe stay in the facility a few days longer." He pushed his hair back, stressed, and then gave their group a winning smile.

"Anyway, it's nice to finally meet all of you! I want to invite all of you out for food this evening, no worries, there will be no cameras. You can tell them whatever you want today, and we will cover your whole story in an orderly meeting tomorrow. I apologize for having to put you through all of this." He started shaking everybody's hands, greeting them one by one while Hongjoong finally closed the last button on his jacket.

Yeosang, San, and the other two female androids Chaerin and Jieun were still inside of here, standing back waiting. The medical personnel had left altogether, leaving them to deal with their departure with Eden's help.

Eden had done his homework. He greeted everybody with their names, patting their shoulders, and giving little thanks. Hongjoong was the last one in the row of eleven, and Eden grinned at him brightly before coming to stand next to him.

"Now, shall we embark on our prison break? We have to move through some zombies out there, but my glides are near. Maybe we should walk in twos and hold each other's hands?" He chuckled full of humor. Hongjoong gave a weak smile, following when Eden walked off after receiving some amused hums.

They made it safely through the door to the room and down the corridor of the Critical Patient Section. However, outside of that, the commotion and shuffling of many bodies were heard already. Everybody wanted to get a first glance at them and had their questions at the ready.

Eden turned to reassure the group again before stepping out.

"I brought more guards for you that will protect you from most of the chaos. They will accompany you home for today and are set up with a few programs to easily reach out to the hospital and me in case of an emergency. They will also lead you safely to our rendezvous in the evening. You may keep them until you go back on the job and take them out in public with you until the commotions will have settled."

Hongjoong nodded numbly, glancing over to Yeosang, who had already shuffled up to Jongho's side protectively.

Traitor.

Hongjoong had to smile at the way Jongho lit up when he stepped out after Eden, immediately having his senses overwhelmed with noises. Humans and androids alike were trying to get a word in, and for a long second, Hongjoong felt incredibly lost.

Then, however, the group of protection units swarmed out, moving to cover them from the curious masses that were clogging up all corridors. Hongjoong flinched at first when a tall man stepped up to his side, but as soon as a protective arm came to settle around his hips, balancing him, he relaxed again.

Only to freeze up right after.

That hand fit perfectly on the imprints on his hips.

Hongjoong's heartbeat picked up in speed, making the dark-haired android look down on him worriedly.

There was no mistaking it. It was a PSH 22 unit. It looked exactly like Seonghwa, down to the little amused curl of his lips.

Hongjoong was ushered forwards, falling into the half-hug of this unit much too comfortably. Maybe he was biased.

However, it was only when they were stepping out towards the docks and splitting up in four gliders, that he noticed the second, right hand of the android. It seemed not finished yet, the metal still visible on it and without skin spanning above.

Why the hell would they send Hongjoong an unfinished android?

Confused, he stumbled into the glider, sliding into the front seat while his new guard settled behind the control console.

Yeosang jumped in with a friendly pat on the stranger's shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Seonghwa."

The android hummed lowly, his bright eyes settling on Hongjoong's disbelieving expression.

"Yeah, it is."


	28. Of Changed Values

Hongjoong stumbled over his threshold when he finally arrived home. It was evident how long he hadn't been here, the house robot immediately greeting him cheerfully.

Hongjoong ignored it, for now, motioning for Seonghwa to step in.

"Here uhh, you can leave your boots here, I suppose, and uhh get comfortable? Do you need anything to drink?" He felt the question catch up right after he had ended, blushing a deep red. With his face hidden in his hands, he ventured further into his home, trying to ignore the patient chuckle with which Seonghwa pulled his boots off.

"Do _you_ need anything to drink, by any chance? You seem a bit over the place." Seonghwa greeted Hongjoong's housing system politely, as he stepped in (apparently her name was Sally.)

"Excuse me; I've never had an android over. Even less somebody who returned from the dead." Sulking, Hongjoong went to fix himself some water. He had to physically restrain himself from not getting Seonghwa a glass too. Instead, he went over to his couch to put the glass down and stared at the grinning android in disbelief.

Seonghwa had spread out on the loveseat as if he belonged there, waiting for Hongjoong to sit down next to him. His arm was laid out comfortably over the backrest in what could have been an innocent gesture if not for the man's knowing grin.

Hongjoong glanced at his water doubtingly.

"Maybe I need to get drunk."

Seonghwa laughed at that, his face scrunching up in that odd mix of pain and happiness that he called a smile. Hongjoong stared, dumbly, at the man he thought dead. He was damn fine for a dead person.

"Get drunk later. Let me explain first. You stared at me as if I was a ghost during the whole journey here," Seonghwa said ever so attentively and nodded his head at the place next to him.

Another tense moment passed, then Hongjoong finally sat down, stiff as a board.

"Maybe you are, though. Or at least some hologram they conjured up so I would stop glaring."

Hongjoong had been glaring a lot these days. Wherever he had seen an equality problem between races, he had glared. If somebody pushed an android, he glared. If androids were being talked down on, he glared. They were fed up with him for sure. He completely forgot that he was finally back after three long weeks in a literal hell and being taken care of so well, he was so busy with glaring.

Seonghwa laughed again, gently patting Hongjoong's shoulder with his good hand.

"I am not. The existence of undead humans with supernatural capabilities is scientifically not proven and even less possible for an android to define as."

"Nevermind, maybe it's actually you."

Seonghwa leaned in suddenly, bringing his amused face close to Hongjoong's as his fingers kept him from flinching away. Hongjoong nearly broke out in a sweat, trying to ignore the man's closeness.

"Now. I was told that they actually repaired me because _somebody_ kept asking them to. I would have been discarded on another pile of metal waste, if not for you. Thank you for that."

Hongjoong merely gave a squeaky hum, feeling much too stuffy in his suit. He needed to get some air circulation in his flat; it was dusty after a long time of his absence. He would ask Sally later.

"Yeah, that- I mean, it would have been less complicated if you had been in one piece. How did you uhh flee from the Reaper?"

"I killed that useless heap of teeth and fishbones."

Hongjoong's mouth dropped open, and he nearly missed how Seonghwa's slender fingers started playing with his collar. Still, goosebumps erupted on his skin, wherever he was touched.

"That's so cool? How did you do that, though? It's like... 55 meters long."

"I am a protection unit, after all. While I might not be able to hurt humans, I am capable of killing many other predators."

"Right. Right, you are." Hongjoong gave a quick nod and then shied away from Seonghwa's tickling fingers.

"So... What will happen now? Obviously I can't take you to work with me, Yeosang will take that place again. Are you even allowed to work?" Hongjoong had slumped just a little bit against Seonghwa's shoulder, seeking the man's proximity.

"Negative. Under the guidelines of mechanical lifeforms, I am no more than a defect unit right now. After he saved my life anyway, Eden discharged me for having worked so hard. So right now, I am just your property. You are free to do as you wish with me, but I am not suited to work anymore."

Hongjoong had multiple reactions to that.

At first, he was glad that Seonghwa had been allowed to live instead of being disposed of. Eden had made sure that Hongjoong got him back even if their usual laws said something else. He really needed to call the man.

Then, Hongjoong felt a bit sad and overwhelmed at the same time. Would Seonghwa be happy here? How would he spend his life now? Would he regret Hongjoong having saved him when he could have rested?

And in the end, a deep blush settled in Hongjoong's cheeks. _His_ , huh?

"You're not my property. I didn't save your life to make you a slave again. I wanted to save you to make you see that you are more than that," he said earnestly, startling when there were suddenly pillowy soft lips pressing against his cheek. Thankfully, he didn't move away, even if he also wouldn't dare to turn in Seonghwa's direction right now.

Seonghwa spoke with his lips moving against Hongjoong's skin, his fingers deftly slipping underneath his tie to loosen it.

"That is why I agreed to come back and stay with you. You changed so much. There would be no person I would feel more welcome with right now." Another press of lips punctuated his sentence, making Hongjoong blush shyly.

"So you're just going to... Be here? And wait for me?"

"Yeah. I need to go and get some more surgeries done until the outer appearance is complete, but apart from that? All yours."

Right. His second arm was not finished yet.

Hongjoong's head tipped back against Seonghwa's shoulder when the man gently nudged his chin with his fingers. He gave a little sigh, resting there comfortably, while Seonghwa swiftly relieved him of the tight tie of his suit. It got discarded with Hongjoong's lashes fluttering dangerously, the presence of the other man making them all droopy.

He just wanted to sleep now, wanted to collect his energy for his big day tomorrow. He wanted to wake up and see Seonghwa there. He wanted to bicker with the man until they arrived at the location, and he wanted to sit down, and talk with him for hours simply. Seonghwa had things he liked and disliked. What was his favorite animal? Did he like a particular color? Would he be up to wearing regular human clothes in that color that Hongjoong would gladly buy for him?

But even then, even with sleep winking at him sensually, Hongjoong forced himself to stay awake.

When he opened his eyes the next time, Seonghwa had opened the first three buttons on his crisp white shirt and was just slipping his fingers inside to splay over Hongjoong's skin. Hongjoong gave a throaty chuckle, twisting his head to look up at the other man.

"Are you trying to get into my pants?" He smirked lazily, earning a perfectly shaped eyebrow-raising at him.

"Not yet, for now, it is just your shirt. Do you wish me to continue?"

Hongjoong gently shook his head, snuggling against Seonghwa's shoulder contently.

"Not now. Let's do stuff like that later."

Seonghwa gave a hum of affirmation, proceeding to slowly take off Hongjoong's shirt so his skin could breathe. It felt good. Being all healthy and energized again. He desperately wanted to go out and play on some fun planet for a day with no worries.

"I wouldn't complain against your tongue in my mouth, though."

That pulled another laugh out of Seonghwa, his hand coming up again to grasp Hongjoong's chin. He turned Hongjoong's head towards his own, looking down on his lax form. Hongjoong smirked droopily, finally satisfied with everything. He was home, Seonghwa was alive and about to kiss him.

The world was alright at that moment.

"Do not fall asleep on me. We got dinner scheduled." Seonghwa leaned down to whisper against Hongjoong's lips, the human responding with a low hum.

"Carry me to bed if I do. I'm a celebrity now, I need beauty sleep."

Seonghwa kissed him then, taking all of the nonsense away with that warm affection that seeped from him into Hongjoong. Hongjoong arched into his touch, turning so he could place his legs over Seonghwa's lap and sit there nestled in the man's arm.

A safe place.

-

Hongjoong rolled to his other side in his bed with a groan, cursing his alarm. Seonghwa merely laughed at the insults thrown his way and proceeded to relay Eden's message anyway.

"- _and you_ _wouldn't_ _believe it! I was trying_ _to_ _tell_ _them_ _to_ _drop it,_ _but_ _they_ _actually will_ _make_ _you pay_ _that_ _huge sum! It makes absolutely_ _no_ _sense as_ _it's_ _not_ _even_ _a planet_ _under_ _the federal government,_ _but_ _apparently it makes sense_ _to_ _those_ _peabrains!"_

Hongjoong blinked, confusedly turning his head. Seonghwa stood at the foot of his bed, holding his freshly tailored suit over one arm.

"Eden, I- wait, sorry, I just woke up. Can you repeat that?"

" _Oh, you did? I take it Seonghwa made sure you_ _slept_ _well then?"_ His voice betrayed the unmistakable grin in his voice, and Hongjoong nearly launched a pillow at poor Seonghwa.

"Yeah. He's really back for good? I get to keep him? Nobody will try to put him to work again?"

Seonghwa stepped closer to help Hongjoong into his clothes, putting the shirt on first. He was kneeling between Hongjoong's legs as he was leisurely closing the buttons, and Hongjoong desperately tried to look anywhere but at him.

The telltale twitch of Seonghwa's lips let him knew that the man knew exactly what he was doing anyway.

" _No, I made sure of that. You_ _can_ _stay at home until you take work_ _up_ _again_ _,_ _and_ _even_ _then_ _, he will_ _be_ _there_ _and_ _whatever, take care of_ _the_ _children_ _or_ _something."_

Hongjoong spluttered, Eden laughed. Seonghwa's eyes glinted.

" _So_ _no_ _worries_ _about_ _that, my friend!_ _That_ _fee_ _is_ _our_ _biggest concern right now! Wait, maybe I_ _can_ _get_ _some_ _sponsors_ _to_ _cover_ _for_ _that. You did discover a whole planet_ _to_ _work on, after all, wait a minute..."_

"What fee?" He had overheard only that part.

Seonghwa carefully pushed his body into an upright position by using Hongjoong's legs as leverage. He began closing Hongjoong's tie as if time wasn't a concept in this world while Hongjoong squirmed around.

" _Right, those 10 Million credits. Such nonsense!"_

Hongjoong choked. Seonghwa worriedly checked the tie when all blood began to drain from Hongjoong's face.

"Say what?"

" _I mean_ _it's_ _only_ _about_ _a million per each person_ _but_ _still... You know,_ _because_ _you_ _used_ _the_ _planet's resources_ _and_ _all that."_

"I was there for three weeks!"

" _Yeah, I mean, I_ _get_ _it... I completely do. Not my idea, I promise. I'll talk it_ _through_ _with_ _the_ _investors_ _again_ _,_ _and_ _we'll_ _see then._ _For_ _now, let's just meet each_ _other_ _at_ _the_ _conference later. Seonghwa knows where_ _to_ _go."_ Eden gave the sigh of a busy man, and Hongjoong barely had the time to say bye before the call ended already.

Disbelieving, Hongjoong stared up at Seonghwa.

"A million credits? That's like a year's wage!"

"You might pay it off within a year, then if you only live off fish."

Hongjoong grabbed him at the collar then, deeply kissing his android. He had provoked it, knowing that Hongjoong would shut him up.

"Oh, shut up. I got a trauma."

"I know how to cure you at least if you ever turn toxic again."

Hongjoong eyed Seonghwa suspiciously.

"Don't tell me you took a fucking Peeper with you."

Seonghwa gave a cheeky grin, lifting his shoulders helplessly.

"It was stuck. They told me I could keep it, so I put it in a bowl in the evening. It's in the kitchen if you want to take a... peep at it." Seonghwa grinned much too brightly. Hongjoong felt himself freeze over.

"I'm gonna kill you."

"I'll get the Peeper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like this, we end again... As always, special thanks to the continuous support of the people who keep reading my every story and never tire in giving feedback for me! Thank you all for all your comments, kudos, reads, any questions I could happily answer ^^
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did! See there's this part two of Subnautica so I was thinking that maaaybe (and I won't make any promises here) I could write a part two of this. First, I'll write pirates again, but after that? There are multiple options. So that might be a thing in the future.
> 
> The first chapter for Prince of Shells (POF part 3) will be up tomorrow~ Join me on my Twitter @Susimau_s for useless writing information (I'll tell you more about my plans to continue this story too)
> 
> See you and thanks a lot ^^


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